History of our locations
In the beginning, La Casserole consisted only of a commercial building. After a number of years of home catering, La Casserole decided to expand to various locations in the area. In 1985, Eeckaerde Auberge came across Fons’ path. Three years later this also applied to Leesthoeve. La Casserole continued with these two locations for a number of years. Henkenshage Castle became available in 1998. There was no hesitation about being able to give great parties in a castle. The Ketelhuis on the Grote Beek Estate was the last location to be added in 2013. To date, only Henkenshage Castle and Het Ketelhuis are still managed by La Casserole. Since 2016, Leesthoeve has been rented out and has currently been transformed into a restaurant. Eeckaerde Auberge was taken over by Stephan Vroomen in 2022 and has been completely renovated.
History the Ketelhuis, Landgoed De Grote Beek
The Ketelhuis is part of the Grote Beek Estate and was built around 1918 in Neo-Renaissance style. The design is probably attributed to the Office of the Government Architect. For almost a century the building housed three enormous steam boilers, which produced hot water to heat the estate’s buildings. This of course required a lot of maintenance and over time the technology became outdated.
In 1999, the switch was finally made to district heating, which meant that the building lost its function as a boiler house. However, it of course retained its cultural-historical and architectural value. The well-preserved condition of both the exterior and the interior is particularly praised. The Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands recognized this and granted the building the status of a National Monument in 2001.
The Ketelhuis is of special value for Eindhoven and its history. To preserve this value, a suitable repurposing purpose was sought for the building. The unique location and industrial appearance are ideal for a meeting place: a place where past and present come together and where life is celebrated.
With this starting point, Het Ketelhuis is transforming, with great respect for its history, into a beautiful catering company. All of the building’s unique features have been retained, along with all the modern amenities that a contemporary hospitality business requires. This makes Het Ketelhuis an example of a successful repurposing of this valuable cultural-historical heritage in Eindhoven. Since then, Het Ketelhuis has functioned as a successful party and event center, where the national monument is used for various events.
History Castle Henkenshage
The history of this beautiful castle goes all the way back to the early 14th century. In the many hundreds of years that followed, the castle provided shelter to noble families, industrialists and even the liberators of the Netherlands.
Castle Henkenshage was renovated in 1850. From an austere, moated building without floors, it got its castle-like appearance by adding corner towers, stables and service residences. The moat was moved and a courtyard was added. In 1904, architect J. Cuypers was commissioned to renovate Henkenshage, while Leonard Springer laid out the gardens. In 1940, both the castle and the gardens were purchased by the municipality of Sint-Oedenrode.
After the war, the castle fell into disrepair and was even in danger of being demolished, but from 1956 it was restored with money from the De Girard de Mielet family of Coehoorn. The castle is located on an island, with also an island within the canals where an open-air theater is now located. Sint-Oedenrode is located near Eindhoven.
Park Henkenshage is actually the backyard of the castle of the same name. The garden, which contains beautiful old oak trees, was renovated around 2002 by landscape architect Arda van Helsdingen, and Leonard Springer’s 1909 design was also restored. The garden also houses the chapel of Our Lady of Consolation. Notable elements include the ‘hidden garden’, the sculpture island, the viewing hill and the amphitheater.
Questions
Please contact us for options and questions. E-mail address: info@la-casserole.nl By phone: 0499 – 37 55 37
