Welcome to Kalvåg
- Berry van Duijvenbode
- Pelagic trawls, purse seines
- Partner since 2025
- Kalvåg, Norway
For 'Hollandse Nieuwe' (Dutch New Herring), you need patience. Because only when the herring contains enough fat – at least 16% – is it at its tastiest. Full, creamy, tender. Our fishermen wait for that one moment, often late May-early June, when the herring is perfect in taste. Only then do they go out. Because true 'Hollandse Nieuwe'... you recognize it by its soft bite and rich flavor.
We are not the only ones who love herring. Norwegian and Danish ships fish here for herring during the season. This year, our proud ambassador Berry was on board with the Norwegian Gunnar Langva. And as soon as the herring is spotted with sonar, things move quickly. The fishermen swiftly deploy the net and catch a portion of the school. The nets do not touch the bottom, and this fishery has hardly any bycatch. On board, the fish is kept fresh, so that all flavor, fat, and freshness are preserved.
The fishermen bring the fresh herring ashore in Kalvåg. This is where the craft begins. Although the herring is caught and processed in Norway, it is processed according to a Dutch tradition – meaning: all entrails except the pancreas are removed; because that is precisely what is important. This is followed by maturation in a special salt mixture. This is how we have done it in the Netherlands for centuries. And precisely that ensures the unique, full flavor for which 'Hollandse Nieuwe' is known.
In IJmuiden, our herring gets its final touch. There it is packaged, along with the classics: red onion and Kesbeke pickles. Two quintessential Dutch icons in one tub. This is how you eat it as it's meant to be – straight from your hand, on a sandwich, or simply with a fork. Enjoy!
Watch the documentary here - Dutch Masters
And he can't do without it. "The sea is freedom for me; no day is the same, and I intensely enjoy it," he proudly says. As a boy, he already sailed along, and now sometimes his son also joins him at sea. This is how the fishing life passes from generation to generation for Berry. This year, he departed from Scheveningen especially for Fish Tales to the Norwegian waters, on board the Gunnar Langva. A well-known motto in fishing is: "fishing is a lottery." You never know what you'll get. This trip also went differently than planned. Due to conditions at sea, it took longer before Berry and the rest of the crew could return. But patience was rewarded: eventually, they came back with a boat full of delicious herring.
In the northern North Sea, Fish Tales herring are caught with trawls and/or purse seines. Berry and his fellow fishermen use sonar techniques to search for schools of herring. Once they find them, things move quickly: the nets are set and part of the shoal is caught. For more information about Berry and the fishery, check out the fishing page!
First off, the herring has recently been caught, specifically between May 1 and September 30 this year. In addition, the fish must contain at least 16% fat. Hollandse Nieuwe is also processed in the authentic Dutch way by gibbing, salting and maturing.
Everyone has their own way of eating their herring. Some like it with onions and pickles, others eat it plain. But one thing is certain: there are countless ways to eat herring. On a sandwich, in a salad or as a snack - just try what you like best! For more recipe inspiration, check out our recipe page!
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