The basement
In the basement there are several kitchens and service areas. They are located around the central hall. Thus, one can enter directly from the hall into each room such as the kitchenette, the rinse kitchen, the vegetable kitchen, the dairy kitchen and the butcher shop.
In this austere room worked the dishwasher, the plongeur (in French restaurants it is still called that). Even though only staff came here, great care was taken to finish the kitchen. The floor is tiled with a cheerful zigzag pattern in black, white and colored tiles, with a ladder pattern along the edges. The tiled walls have a decorative, multicolored border. It is just like throughout the castle: every part of the room is finished and decorated with care.
The Baron's guests were spoiled with the most delicious meat dishes from classic French Cuisine. Canard à l'orange (duck), poussin en peluche (stuffed chick), venison steak etc. All meat and poultry was cold stored and deboned and filleted here in the butcher shop. The room with the marble workbenches and meat hooks was specially designed for it.
In June 1898, this state-of-the-art hotel kitchen was installed by a Parisian kitchen manufacturer, Atelier Briffaut. The construction company G. Drouet supplied the colossal, double coal stove: its name is written on it in large letters. Grates in the floor around the stove served to supply air for the two coal fires. The smoke was carried underground to the chimney against the north wall, behind the fireplace in which the spits rotated.
Kasteel de Haar's 150-piece, copper batterie de cuisine is unique in the Netherlands: similar equipment can only be found in the Palace on Dam Square. The Parisian manufacturer put not its own name, but that of the owner, on each item: each pan, roasting pan, lid and pudding mold. Copper conducts well, making it ideal for cooking, but it is toxic. Therefore, the inside must be carefully tinned - and re-tinned regularly, as the tin layer wears off. Partly because this tinning became a problem, and because of the enormous weight of the pans, stainless steel pans were eventually switched, in 1984.
Complete your day out with a visit to our castle store! Here you will find special products for yourself or to give as a gift to someone. The store is located in the atmospheric basement of the castle. Finish your visit to the castle by browsing through the souvenirs, gadgets, luxury items and original gifts!
The store's offerings are changed several times a year. For each season there are unique products available. For an exclusive gift, the perfect souvenir or a beautiful memento of Castle de Haar, you have come to the right place.
In the castle store you will find several products from our own exclusive line, recognizable by the gold sticker. Among others, the honey is unique, specially from our own garden! In addition, the silk scarves specially designed for Castle de Haar are an asset. The logo of the castle is creatively reflected in the original motif. There are plenty of other unique products to be found, such as key chains, 3D cards, mugs with design of the castle and much more.
In the castle store the book 'What a Wealth, ten centuries Castle de Haar' is also for sale. This book gives a unique look into ten centuries of Kasteel de Haar. This publication contains over 660 pages of castle history, weighs just under 4 kilos, has 20 chapters, contains over 800 images and includes contributions from 17 authors.