Rian makes it in Tilburg

Rian van Pelt is the initiator of Broodje Aap & Linke Soep. This is an intercultural lunch and catering service where meeting is central. The lunches are made by newcomers: people with talents, dreams and ambitions. In Broodje Aap & Linke Soep they participate in Tilburg society in a practical, positive and tasty way.

Rian: "The Monkey & Left Soup sandwich was created 4 years ago as a social initiative. The wish was to bring together old and new people from Tilburg, organisations and companies and to work towards a positive integration of newcomers in Tilburg's society. And we still do; by talking together, cooking together, eating together. "If you are new to Tilburg, it is difficult to make contact with the Dutch, everyone is always busy. How are you going to learn the language? How do you learn about the habits in the Netherlands? How do you know how it all works here? It is precisely by learning and working together that this can be done sooner and better. Our language volunteers play an important role in this. And in the meantime we make delicious dishes for lunch and catering together."

Joint ambition

"We serve a combination of healthy dishes that you can't get anywhere else. We provide catering for organisations, companies and individuals and come to serve it ourselves. It's nice for newcomers to be host and hostess, this way they can practice the language and get to places where they wouldn't otherwise be so quick. All nationalities and religions work side by side, men and women are equal. They have the common ambition to learn the language and get on with it. That is what unites us. 

Breast-knocking

"Citymarketing provides a good and positive story about Tilburg, which fits in well with us. Our subtitle is also; an intercultural meal with a positive story, we want to tell and exchange stories of what is happening in Tilburg. Why is Tilburg doing so well? Because the people of Tilburg want something, they want to make something out of it, take all their talent with them and just do it. Tilburg is on the map and is becoming more and more well-known, that goes without saying. We don't like the "beating on the chest" but we just do it!"

Tasty!

"From April 2016, Broodje Aap & Linke Soep will be actively cooking in our tasting room on the Boomstraat in Tilburg. Since then, about 150 newcomers of 20 different nationalities have worked in the kitchen on language, culture and employee skills. In the past year there have been two pilots of the hospitality training for 20 newcomers to guide them to work in the hospitality industry. More than 50% of them have a job, are in the process of setting up their own company, or are attending a training course. We are now in the process of expanding this successful training: a new training programme for old and new people from Tilburg in which they learn and work in a safe, linguistically rich and positive place. We will work towards an MBO-2 level in the field of hospitality and hospitality. Participants will be guided to an internship and/or workplace that really suits them. Tilburg will soon have many new, motivated and self-reliant employees who are eager to work in the hospitality industry."

Socially responsible

Broodje Aap & Linke Soep offers the Tilburg business community a practical, concrete and positive way to give shape to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). "As a company or organisation, you can invest in Broodje Aap & Linke Soep by purchasing lunches and catering. By doing so, you make a financial contribution to the training, guidance and labour participation of our participants. In the meantime, you can enjoy delicious lunches and catering. That's what we call: an intercultural meal with a positive story!"

The golden tip from Rian

Have a lunch at Broodje Aap & Linke Soep: then you'll get through the day with positive energy!