The king of the show
"Our name actually makes no sense at all," jokes caterer Jeroen Witteveen of King of the Grill in Zeist. "What we do is mainly low and slow, so not that quick grilling. Oh well, we just liked the sound of the name." It could easily have become 'King of the Bill' when Jeroen was studying accounting. "But if you grow up in a middle-class family, you quickly end up working in the business." As a fourth-generation business owner, he started at twenty in the butcher shop founded by his grandfather and later continued by his father. With his down-to-earth, no-nonsense attitude and common sense, he changed course eight years ago: closing the shop and focusing entirely on catering.
Why did you decide to stop running the butcher shop?
Let's be honest: there's a big difference between selling a pound of ground meat and paying for a buffet. The days in the store were long, we faced competition from the big supermarkets, and we had the wind in our sails with 'Witteveen Catering,' which we also ran alongside it. So my wife and I took the plunge. We still do that catering, by the way; King of the Grill joined in 2007.
How did King of Grill come into being?
"In America, the barbecue culture I mean, right? When a customer gave me the opportunity to buy one of those smoker trailers, I was sold. At first, people had no idea what it was. They'd ask, 'Are you going to tar the roof?' Jord Althuizen paved the way. These days, everyone knows those smokers."
And why don't you smoke under the name Witteveen Catering?
You shouldn't want to put your own name on a barbecue concept like that. It's like putting your hometown on a bus. King of the Grill is nationwide; people find us through Google. Sometimes we have jobs so far away that I think, is this really necessary? With all that stuff, we're like a moving company. But if people book us, we come.
What do you do as King of the Grill?
"So, not much grilling. It could just as easily have been King of the Slow, Smoke, or Show. Grilling is the quick work, and we rarely do that. We smoke our products for twelve to fourteen hours. The finishing—which we do on location—is more for show."
What do you like about smoking or barbecuing, or whatever you call it?
Call it what you like. I don't care. It's essentially smoking. And honestly, I'm not a meat-thermometer whiz who knows exactly what heat does to meat enzymes. It pays well, and I enjoy it. The latter is the most important thing; otherwise, you won't be able to keep it up.
Why does the taste of smoking appeal to you?
Personally, I don't need everything smoked. That's way too intense. I actually like the combination. That's why we also offer complete packages with meat, fish, and vegetarian options. The latter option is a bit outside our comfort zone, but we do it. The same goes for gluten-free or lactose-free dietary requirements and halal meat.
Why do you want to appeal to the widest possible target group?
If you exclude people, you'll miss out on a whole lot. That's why I also choose products from the Verstegen Pure line. They're free of all declared allergens, free of the flavor enhancer MSG (monosodium glutamate), and contain less salt. This allows us to easily offer a wide range of products that appeal to a wide audience. Verstegen has really nailed that. Their burger spice mix is perfect for marinating burgers or sausages. And the French Garden marinade remains a winner for mushrooms and baby potatoes.
Do you have a favorite product or ingredient to work with?
"Would it be really stupid if I didn't have that? Right now, I think those sausage rings are pretty cool. Especially because it's something a bit weird. Not everyone knows about them yet. Although that's quickly over these days with social media. If you have something new tomorrow, the day after tomorrow everyone has it, and then it's no longer funny. For now, it's just for show."
And how do you make that show?
"Well, I don't make anything, do I? We're not exactly waving flags. I just have a great team of enthusiastic people who enjoy working with food in a fun way. And who enjoy being friendly with the guests. With a smoker like this, you don't need many bells and whistles."
How do you get that great team?
My 23-year-old daughter and 19-year-old son work here too. They attract a lot of young people. And they simply enjoy the work. When I ask in the WhatsApp group, "Who's going out with me tomorrow with the smoker?" I get plenty of responses. It's funny, though, because when I ask who's going to clean up here, no one responds.
Do you have enough work with King of the Grill all year round?
No, this is truly seasonal work. We go all out in the summer. Then we have a bit of a dip, and around Christmas we're busy again. And that's fine. Those quiet months give us time to recover, go on vacation, and crank out a lot of production, like pulled pork, pulled chicken, and hamburgers. I can easily freeze that.
Are there things you wish you had done differently?
Maybe I'm a bit old-fashioned sometimes. I like to keep things under control. There are plenty of 'big boys' who let go of certain things more easily. Maybe I could have become four times as big. I sometimes turn down the offer now. But once a deal is made, we're there – touch wood. I'll never cancel a game if a bigger project suddenly comes along. And if the team is short-staffed, I'm the backup.
What is your biggest challenge?
Staff. Finding and retaining good people. It's fun here, but it's also hard work. Things should stay fun at home too. You have to be careful about that: treat your people well.
How do you see the future?
As long as I can do this job with a great team of people, I'm happy. Everything hinges on the right team. And who knows, maybe I'll switch off someday and just cherry-pick. But for now, I'm happy. We're doing well.
Do you have any tips for other aspiring entrepreneurs?
Just get started. And be persistent. We started with just one smoker trailer. And sometimes you suddenly have weeks of nothing but rain. It's a matter of persevering. You know how it is: after rain..."