A touch of the Netherlands in Maberly

Sep 17, 2014

Changing careers mid-life is very rare but crossing an ocean to do so is even more rare.

Tess Steenberghe and Jeroen Kerrebijn, who took over the helm at the Fall River Restaurant in Maberly in July, moved from the Netherlands to the area after deciding they wanted a change - a big change. She, a lawyer and he, a neck and head cancer surgeon, left Dordrecht, the Netherlands along with their three children to embark on a new life in Canada.

The couple first became enamored with the beauty of this country after Jeroen completed a fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto in 1996. Ten years ago they purchased a cottage in the Haliburton area and they have known for decades that they wanted to make the move to Canada. It was their 20-year-old daughter Isabel who gave them the final push they needed. “She said that if we were going to do it we needed to do it now,” said Tess.

Both knew that they would not be able to pursue their professions here without having to go back to school, but they embraced the challenge of finding new work. “It was a combination of factors,” Jeroen said. “We knew that we and the kids were getting older and knew that the sooner we came over the better.”

Tess said that buying the restaurant/coffee house and gift shop in Maberly was a complete coincidence. “We love the nature and the ample outdoor space in Canada and were looking at outdoor businesses, like resorts or campgrounds and a friend put us onto this area. We actually found the restaurant listing on the internet just by chance and it looked like the perfect thing for us.” Neither have experience in the restaurant business though Tess waited tables as a student and Jeroen delivered goods to restaurants, but former owners Michelle Murphy and Paul Zammit agreed to help by showing them the ropes.

While much remains the same at the restaurant in these early days, Tess and Jeroen have some interesting new plans. They are aiming for a varied but smaller menu and will be both growing and sourcing out local ingredients as well as adding a choice of daily chef specials to the regular menu.

Customers can expect the same goodies at the Coffee House located beside the restaurant, where one son will be serving up fair trade specialty coffees, pastries and sandwiches. The Coffee Shop is open all day on Saturdays and Sundays and is open during the week for breakfast from 7-11am until Thanksgiving. Outside of those hours, coffee lovers will be able to get take out coffee and pastries from the restaurant. The tradition of a fine dining experience will be continued and an affordable daily menu of lunches with numerous healthy starters, home made daily soups, fresh baked breads, home made pizzas, a fresh charcuterie (meat) plate, a cheese platter and delicious locally made desserts will be offered. A prime rib dinner special is another plan and will be offered regularly on the weekends.

The new owners bring with them a love of Indonesian food, which is popular in the Netherlands. Customers will be able to enjoy skewered meats dipped in a spicy peanut sauce, as well as a native Indonesian treat called Rijsttafel, a large plate of different meat, fish and veggie dishes served with different kinds of rice, which will be offered on special nights. Some of the traditional Netherlands desserts they have planned are Stroopwafel, a thin caramelized sugary and chewy waffle-type cookie as well as poffertjes, mini puff pancakes that are made fresh and served with butter and powdered sugar. The couple plan to cater special events and parties off site and invite special events bookings at the restaurant as well. Live music is also a consideration and there are hopes to have a regular live music evening once monthly. Renovations for the restaurant are also in the plans and the new owners hope to make the interior walls friendly to local artisans who might want to hold a show and/or display their work there.

Jeroen and Tess are working on a new website but the old one, which is still up and running, will offer current information (fallriverrestaurant.ca). While the gift shop is currently closed until later this year, the couple plan to stock it with a wide selection of gourmet food products, cottage/home wares, truffles and more.

While Tess and Jeroen definitely have their work cut out for them, already they are enjoying meeting and serving their new customers and are looking forward to making the Fall River Restaurant their own and a popular destination for both tourists and locals alike. The Fall River Restaurant is located at 21980 Highway 7 in Maberly and will be open year round Wednesdays through Sundays with the kitchen open from 11am until 8pm. Call 613-268-2197 to make reservations or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.