"Saying you're sustainable is trendy, but putting that into practice is even more important"

Brasserie Tapijn is part of the Les Tables restaurant group in Maastricht. When it was time to distribute their new restaurant guide, Tuur Huijbregts immediately thought of the e-cargo bike. At his brasserie, good food goes hand in hand with concern for the climate. So, for two weeks, small grocery shopping trips were done with the cargo bicycle. Chef Rob Winkens also used the bicycle every day to cycle the route to work from his home in Eijsden.

Great for going uphill

Chef Rob went to collect the bicycle in Valkenburg. It took a little while to get used to the heavy box on the front, but Rob immediately took the cargo bicycle up the hill over Cauberg. ‘It went really well. You really notice the boost of the engine when the hill is very steep. You can then even overtake the cyclists on their racing bicycles.’ Of course, Rob also took his two children on a ride on the cargo bike. ‘They loved sitting in the box. Their generation is growing up to be much more conscious of the world around them, and they are taught a different way of thinking at school – a much more sustainable way of thinking.’

Great responses

Rob and Tuur created an advertisement for the e-cargo bike on social media and received very positive responses. The bicycle was placed in open view of the café terrace to get people interested and encourage them to ask questions. ‘I even came across some jealous postmen while cycling. I can imagine that this bicycle would also be perfect for them in the Heuvelland region with all its hills.’ ‘It's also a great solution if you're a smaller business that does their own grocery shopping,’ says Tuur. ‘Or if you have multiple locations in the city and have to transport goods between them.’

Higher ambitions

Rob and Tuur also choose sustainable options in the kitchen whenever possible. ‘We took a critical look at our plastic disposables and selected biodegradable straws. We also sell our completely organic olive oil in paper packets. To-go orders aren't served in polystyrene or plastic, but in recycled paper and with wooden cutlery. We replaced two cables with 300 lamps outside with LED lamps and replaced another 40 inside. That really makes a difference! If Tapijn were not a temporary location, we would put solar panels on the roof, install a heat pump, fit the windows with quadruple insulation, and flush the toilets with rainwater. Unfortunately, these measures are not profitable right now.’

Enjoy a free trial of an e-bike for transport

Does your business frequently have to be in the city centre to deliver orders? Then try Maastricht Bereikbaar's e-cargo bike for free for two weeks. You might end up sharing Tuur's enthusiasm for delivering by bike!