Private chef · Costa del Sol · Est. 2023
An eye for light, the discipline of years in uniform, and the precision of a Michelin-trained kitchen — at one table in the sun.
Chapter 01 · About Nick
I'm Nick. Thirty-six, born in Zwolle, with a childhood split across Belgium and Germany. I finished my schooling in Groningen. The kitchen found me late: first three years with the Royal Marechaussee, then a year volunteering in Gambia.
It was only around twenty-six that I went all in. I started on the cold side of a restaurant kitchen, then a formative year in the patisserie at Bord'eau in Hotel de L'Europe — under Bas van Kranen. The camera has been with me since eighteen: the same discipline, a different tool.
Since 2023 I've been cooking privately on the Costa del Sol. Discipline from the uniform, precision from a Michelin-trained kitchen, calm from Andalusia — brought together at one table. Not catering. A memory.
Chapter 02 · The Timeline
Born in Zwolle, raised partly in Belgium and partly in Germany. Different countries, different kitchens, different tables — an early lesson that food speaks a different language wherever you go.
The family eventually settled in Groningen, where I finished my schooling.
three countries · one table
Before the kitchen called, I chose the service. With the Royal Marechaussee I trained as a first-class sergeant and worked, among other places, at Schiphol airport.
Three years long I learned what precision, responsibility and finishing a task actually mean — an attitude that walked straight into the kitchen with me.
first-class sergeant · schiphol
After the service years I left for a year of volunteer work in The Gambia. One of the roots of my curiosity about other kitchens and other cultures.
It also turned out to be one of the first real stamps in a passport that would eventually count 27.
volunteer work · west africa
All through it, I was cooking. No training, no brigade — but an unsatisfiable hunger, endless 24Kitchen, and a camera never far away.
Two passions sitting on a low flame, waiting for their moment.
amateur · 24kitchen · patience
It wasn't until around twenty-six that I went all in on the craft. I started in a restaurant kitchen, mostly on the cold section — the place where you learn that build, timing and cleanliness are half the work.
From there I moved on, with a stop at De Middenstip in Epe, on the road to Amsterdam.
cold section · de middenstip, epe
Through a meeting at the Horecava trade fair with chef Mounir Toub, a referral to Robert Kranenborg and eventually a conversation with Bas van Kranen, I landed in the kitchen of Bord'eau at Hotel de L'Europe.
I worked in the pastry section and picked up the rhythm of all the other parties on the way through. The lesson that stayed: a plate has to be honest, and precision lives in the smallest detail.
bord'eau · hotel de l'europe · pastry
I picked my own road. First I took over Eetcafé Texels — and learned right away how heavy a wrong location and an oversized building weigh.
After that, in a small unit on the Gelkingestraat, I opened Holyburgers: Groningen's first halal burger spot. Great product, accessible but with class. It grew into the best-reviewed burger spot in the city. That's where I really learned how to run a business.
holyburgers · gelkingestraat · top-rated
I've been shooting since I was eighteen. As an all-round photographer with a heart for portraits I learned the same discipline that shapes my kitchen: wait for the right light, pick the right moment, and know when to stop fine-tuning.
In 2024 I travelled across Japan — a wealth of images and a wealth of kitchen inspiration.
portrait · street · japan '24
I swapped Holland for Andalucía. Lemons grow on the tree here, the fish comes straight out of the sea, and everyone takes their time. Friends asked if I'd cook for them, then their friends, then a villa for a whole week.
That's how TOORN at table was born: private cooking at someone else's table, with the precision of the starred kitchen and the pace of the south.
private dinners · villa takeovers · 2023
Services · What you can book
No fixed prices — everything is bespoke. The shape is below; we'll work out the details together.
01 · At your table
I cook at your home or villa. One evening, one table, one menu we agree on in advance. From shopping to plating to clean-up. You welcome your guests and hold your glass.
Plan an evening02 · A resident chef for a week
A full week on location — dinners, and lunches or breakfasts if you like. I move with the rhythm of the group: one night raw fire, another an Italian village menu, everything straight from the market.
Book a week03 · Hands-on at my pace
Small group, your kitchen or mine. One dish or a full line-up, always following the seasons. What I teach you: technique above all — a strong foundation makes every dinner better.
Ask about it04 · Organised by Nick
Dinners I host myself: a fire-pit evening on a finca, an olive-grove table, a Dining under the Stars on the beach. Open booking, small group, a different setting each time.
See the agendaChapter 03 · Travels
Click on a stamp with a red dot for the story. The others are places I've been; the blogs are still on the way.
Countries visited
0
From San Sebastián to Tokyo.
Years in the trade
0
Since I was twenty-six — not a year earlier.
Tables per month
0
Kept small, on purpose.
Chapter 04 · The Cookbook
A small, growing cookbook. Pick one for an evening, cook for someone you love, pour something I think pairs well.
5 recipes
Chapter 05 · Events
A few times a month I cook at a long table where you can book a seat. Small groups, local produce, each time a different spot on the Costa.
Interlude
“Not catering.
A memory.”
— Nick
Chapter 06 · At the table
A private dinner at home, a villa week, a birthday, something else entirely — it all fits, as long as the table matters. The more I know, the sharper the first proposal.
Setting the table
Costa del Sol · Private chef
