NL De Juf in Middelburg has grown from a bakery into a full-service venue offering breakfast, lunch, coffee, and pastries. The article also covers the kiosk, suppliers, and the origin of ingredients.
About De Juf
De Juf in Middelburg: development, coffee, and origin
De Juf is located at Damplein 20 in the city center of Middelburg. The business started as a bakery and later grew into a hospitality venue offering breakfast, lunch, and coffee. The current concept combines homemade pastries with a wide range of espresso drinks. Additionally, De Juf has a kiosk on the opposite side of the main building.
From bakery to hospitality venue
Else Kerkhof and Ard Flipse founded De Juf together. Kerkhof trained as a primary school teacher and subsequently worked in the classroom. In the summer of 2013, she supplied rotating cakes to Expresszo, Flipse’s coffee bar. This collaboration formed the basis for their own shop.
The first location opened on October 11, 2014, at Sint Janstraat 32. The original concept focused on the production and sale of cakes, cookies, and other baked goods. According to company information, these products were prepared daily in an open kitchen, keeping the baking process visible to visitors.
On November 17, 2018, De Juf reopened at Damplein 20. Following this move, breakfast and lunch were added to the offering. Coffee and a reservable high tea also became a fixed part of the venue. At the same time, filter coffee was replaced by preparation using an espresso machine.
The ownership structure changed in the years that followed. Ard Flipse left the company in 2021. In 2025, Inge Breedijk became a co-owner alongside Else Kerkhof. Breedijk had already been working at De Juf for several years and previously held management roles in the hospitality sector in Domburg.
Coffee Offerings and Preparation Methods
De Juf uses coffee from Single Estate Coffee Roasters. The April 2026 menu lists espresso, double espresso, lungo, and espresso macchiato. In addition, cortado, cappuccino, flat white, caffè latte, and latte macchiato are on the menu. The offering thus focuses primarily on drinks from the espresso machine.
The menu also features dirty chai and iced cappuccino. Guests can opt for an extra espresso shot, oat milk, or house-made caramel and vanilla syrup. Individual manual brewing methods, such as pour-over, AeroPress, or French press, are not listed on the published menu.
The webshop features beans from Single Estate from Brazil. This is Brazil Campo Alegre, a naturally processed Yellow Catucaí from Sul de Minas. The product information does not clarify whether this bean is the only coffee used in the bar. Therefore, no definitive conclusion can be drawn on this matter.
Pastries, lunch, and kiosk
Pastries and cakes remain an important part of the concept. The establishment also lists breakfast, lunch, and high tea. A high tea can be reserved, and a takeaway package is also available. These offerings fall under regular hospitality services and are not announced as public workshops or tastings.
In the spring of 2023, a kiosk opened opposite the main building. It sells coffee to go, pastries, sandwiches, and soft-serve ice cream. The kiosk also has an outdoor terrace. This gave De Juf a separate sales point focused primarily on takeaway and terrace use.
Origin and Sustainability
For cookies and cakes, De Juf uses flour from wheat grown entirely in Zeeland. Locally grown fruit is used when the season allows. Citrus fruit comes from further afield, as cultivation is not possible in the Dutch climate. Current suppliers listed are Single Estate Coffee Roasters for coffee and TeaBar for tea.
A 2019 publication also mentioned dairy from Kaasboerderij Schellach, sourdough bread from Luuks Brood & Patisserie, honey from Imkerij Poppendamme, and smoked salmon from Rookhuis Middelburg. This information is older and does not confirm a current collaboration. No formal environmental policy, waste program, or external sustainability certification has been publicly documented.
Local visibility and activities
The development of De Juf has received attention in local and regional publications on several occasions. These covered the opening in 2014, the move in 2018, the kiosk in 2023, and the new co-owner in 2025. The establishment has also appeared in various guides to Middelburg.
Public coffee workshops, regular tastings, exhibitions, or an events calendar have not been documented. In 2017, De Juf did provide a voucher for the local campaign #wijzijndeactie in Middelburg. No formal industry award or victory in a coffee or hospitality competition has been publicly recorded.