Croix Valley Grillmeister André Groenendaal | January 2022
Croix Valley's first international Grillmeister!
As many of you know, Croix Valley has been gathering steam around the globe, and in particular, the Netherlands. We quickly took note of the fine meals we were seeing, and we knew that a Grillmeister would emerge soon. Pitmaster André Groenendaal continues to share top notch cuisine, and became the obvious choice!
André is 58 is married to his wife Debby, has two children, Layla and Jesse, and one grandchild Mason James. He was born and raised in Weesp, the Netherlands where he still lives and loves very much.
He works at Amsterdam RAI (a large convention center) in the Event Support department. He is also the owner of AetsveldGrill BBQ Party Catering which has become a hobby that has "gotten out of hand" and is now a professional catering company where he expresses his passion for BBQing. His other hobby is playing darts in competition.
On to the questions!
When did you get into grilling, and how often do you fire it up?
I started BBQing at a young age at home with my family in the backyard like many of you I think, and that slowly developed over time. I BBQ about 2 to 3 times a week in the high season, and otherwise once a week.
Name one grilling technique you’ve learned over the years that has served you well.
I think one of the most important things about BBQing is controlling fire and temperature, because that's where the whole of BBQing is. Without mastering the BBQ you will never get the right taste with your dish.
What’s the most unique thing you’ve grilled or cooked (or would like to)?
A whole pig on a spit at a neighbor's garden party.
That would be really cool to do and present to the guests. So awesome.
Tell us about your most memorable day around the grill.
I think that is yet to come, but with enough guests, every BBQ party where I see happy and satisfied faces is memorable.
Last but not least, what are your favorite Croix Valley products?
For me at the moment those are Sweet Heat BBQ Dry Rub and Sweet 'n Smokey Competition Barbecue Sauce - especially on the ribs. But the other Croix Valley products are also amazing and we will work with them in the near future to combine various flavors to see what delicious flavors result from this. They are also special in savory or sweet dishes such as in a cake.
