For four generations, the Friesian bakery family Van der Meulen has been passionately in the bakery, driven by one goal: to create crisp delicacies, prepared with craftsmanship and love.
Quality and food safety are of utmost importance to us. We produce kosher, vegan and have the following quality certificates:
Quality and food safety are of utmost importance to us. We produce kosher, vegan and have the following quality certificates:
Hessel van der Meulen began an adventure in 1910 that would change his life (and the lives of generations to come). One ordinary morning he got an extraordinary idea: his own rusk bakery. What began then as a simple plan grew into more than a hundred years of baking tradition.
Every day our bakers still get up early to make fresh, crispy products that we are proud of. Not because they have to, but because they master the art of baking with heart and soul and bake with a smile.
Generation van der Meulen
More than 100 private label collaborations
Operating in more than 30 countries worldwide
In 1910, Hessel van der Meulen decides to turn his passion for baking into a real profession. He starts a small rusk bakery in his hometown of Ferwerd. Soon his craftsmanship catches the eye: more and more people in the Northern Netherlands start their day with a crispy Van der Meulen rusk. Growth does not take long. The original bakery is exchanged for a larger location in Hallum, specially equipped for the baking of rusk. The name? De Volharding.
In 1930, the second generation arrived. Johannes van der Meulen, the eldest son, has big plans. Although he is a true Frisian, he thinks in terms of international opportunities. Under his leadership, the family business took its first steps towards the United States. His vision is clear: ‘The more you eat, the more you want!’ With this, Van der Meulen Beschuit gets a flurry of the American Dream.
In 1964, Hessel van der Meulen junior took over from his father and immediately put his own stamp on the company. He opted for innovation and growth. His approach soon bore fruit: Melba Toast was launched in the early 1970s and Van der Meulen took its first steps on the English market.
The popularity of Melba toast goes so fast that the factory is expanded considerably in the 1980s. By taking over a rye bread bakery in Broeksterwoude, the assortment expands. Hessel jr. knows for sure: offering only rusk is out of date. He regularly visits bakeries to get new ideas and this is how all kinds of new Van der Meulen bakery products are created.
In the 1990s, Johannes van der Meulen takes office as the new general manager. His vision? Back to the essence: Melba toast, rye bread and rusk. Naturally baked with dedication and quality. And that appears to be successful. Under his leadership, the family business grows into an international player with exports to more than forty countries. In 2022 Johannes consciously chooses to focus even more: the company stops producing rye bread and rusk and concentrates entirely on what it does best: Melba toast.
