Photo Credit: Photolap
Martine van den Bos was born and raised in Delft. She worked for DSM, a large Delft company, for about ten years as an order coordinator in anti-infectives, bakery ingredients and dairy ingredients divisions. After studying gastronomy she became a wine & food specialist sharing her experiences in a blog, organising wine workshops and later on selling wine on the internet. During this period she specialised in Port wines and matched them with cheeses frequently. After doing a cheese course, she started working more with cheese and started a French cheese shop (a Fromagerie) in her home town Delft in September 2019. Martine speaks Dutch, German, English and French. It seems that all the skills that she required in her life can be used in her shop. She is a gourmet and thoroughly enjoys advising people.
What products/ services do you offer and to whom?
It’s a small shop with a mix of French and Portuguese products. French cheeses and delicacies, Portuguese wines and tableware. People who like going on holiday in France frequently or lived there get extra enthusiastic about the French products.
How did you pick your business name? Any fun fact about your logo?
The name ‘SmaakBoutique’ was made up together with my husband when I started my wine business. It’s all about sharing good taste, tasteful products in a shop. And that is still the case 12 years later just in a different shape. A new logo was designed just before opening the cheese shop and later on I asked an illustrator I know if she could design something to explain my motto (Schenkt geluksmomenten i.e. gifts moments of happiness). She drew a picture of me, pouring happiness out of a bottle with my logo drawn on the apron. It’s un upgrade to my original logo I think.
If you had to name 3 things that you love doing in your work, which would they be?
I would say connecting/helping people, giving personal attention and sharing good taste.
What makes you different from others in your industry? How large is your team?
No team. Just me! What makes me different is that I sell French cheeses which differ each season, mostly raw milk cheeses (not pasteurised). I choose quality and taste over quantity.
What do you like about the geographical area that your work in?
That there is a lot of history: our streets are full of historical, well-maintained buildings. It’s also more like a village (where a lot of people know one another) than a city.
When was the last time that you were touched by a client’s reaction?
It really makes me happy when someone discovers a cheese or rillettes in my shop and gets really excited. Sometimes when I sit outside my shop and someone passes and says ‘I really loved the cheese I bought last week! I’ll be back later”. It happens frequently and it’s one of the reasons I love doing this.
Any exciting news about your business? Any upcoming new product or service or event?
The latest harvest of vinho verde is available, the perfect white wine for spring and summer, light and slightly sparkling and there’s a nice discount.
How can people reach you?
De SmaakBoutique is active on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest with tempting food & wine pictures.
Wines are sold online and shipped throughout Europe on https://shop.desmaakboutique.nl
Cheeses are sold locally in the shop and online through https://desmaakboutique.nl
Interview conducted by Lucie Cunningham from Tell Them Well Communications in May 2020. Lucie is a freelance editor, copywriter and translator with many years of community project management. She has lived in France, England, The USA, the Netherlands and is currently based in Scotland. www.tellthemwell.com/about