Local producer can showcase himself in iconic water tower Schimmert

A booster to take regional products to the next level. That, in a nutshell, is the philosophy behind De Reusch, the iconic water tower in Schimmert that is expected to open its doors early next year. A place where local producers can show consumers their products and the story behind them.

"We are going to do a lot of great things together." Tower owner Nico Eurelings and his brother Roger, both born in Schimmert, are committed to putting the area even better on the map.

Renovation and digital platform

"The first of many steps was the sustainable and energy-neutral renovation of the tower," said Nico Eurelings. And that has been accomplished. Meanwhile, Roger has set up a digital platform for regional products where consumers can buy products and producers can offer their products. Although De Reusch is not yet open to the public, local products can already be ordered through the webshop. "In this way we keep the distance of the products from grower to customer as short as possible."

Range of 46 kilometers

The Reusch has a total of seven floors, each of which gives shape to the overall concept. André Köppen and wife Anne Marie are the operators of the concept. André Köppen: "Our aim is to harmonize economy and ecology. Everything that visitors consume in the tower will consist of ingredients grown and produced within a 46 kilometer radius. Eating and drinking as far as you can see, that's the concept."

On the first floor there will be a store with regional products, but there is also the possibility to order products online. "In the future we also want to facilitate catering and possibly take care of distribution," says Nico Eurelings. He indicates that De Reusch will also handle the marketing for the overall concept. "The producers from the region are all very good at making a product, but marketing a product is another story. We will soon have quite a platform, which we also want to use to the full."

Restaurant

On the second floor of the water tower is the restaurant, which seats about sixty guests and will be open seven days a week once it opens. "Because we are dependent on the daily supply of thirty local producers, we will not be working with a physical menu in the restaurant, but with an app," explains Köppen.

"On it, guests can see the food they are eating, and then they can choose what they would like to eat.

"Guests can see which products we are currently supplying and put together their own menu. Our chef only works with ingredients that he can't choose and order in advance. That requires a form of thinking back, but therein lies the challenge."

Tasting Room

Pal above the restaurant, on the third floor, will be the tasting room. This will not only accommodate 50 people from the restaurant, but guests can also participate in an (interactive) taste quiz. André Köppen on the latter: "A visitor can book three tasting glasses of beer or wine in advance and name them. Young people under eighteen are automatically given a soft drink tasting with our homemade soft drinks."

The third and fourth floors also have space set aside for a marketplace where tower partners run microproductions and visitors can watch various products being made.

Bier and Frisch

In the brewery on the fourth floor, not only beer is brewed in a sustainable way, but also the soft drink Frisch. André Köppen: "Limburg used to have between thirty and forty soft drink factories. The liquid sweetness consisted of water, extract and, above all, a lot of added sugar. We absolutely do not want the latter. We are going to brew soft drinks with natural flavors of flowers and fruit. This is done on the basis of wort, a sugary liquid that is fermented in the brewery and to which lactic acid bacteria are added at a later stage. We then cut the sweetness with sour fruit from grapes, morels or blueberries, for example. You can also involve children in this soft drink concept, because after all it's also about raising awareness."

Theater and views

In the Taste Theater on the sixth floor, where the water tank used to be, visitors are taken back in time to the past of Limburg. "We do that with the help of holograms, smell and projection," explains Köppen. "Furthermore, we want to offer regional producers a stage to present their products."

The highest point of the tower is the panoramic terrace with regional tapas menu and a view of 46 kilometers, plus views of the many regional producers that lie within this radius.

More to know? Check out the website of The Reusch.

Source: New Harvest