Last Saturday, I went to the New Food Fair on the Haarlemmerstraat – the sun was shining, I ate a lot of pork, it was all jolly nice. But this annual food fair seems to have been getting bad press from Amsterdam’s foodie network, its international chefs in particular. Criticisms levelled at the event include the fact that it’s not “new” enough, that the same old restaurants feature year after year, and that it’s an excuse for the non-food shops on the street to flog their leftover stock.
And to them I say: why not?
For the record, I did see some new faces: notably, Spanish deli-style purveyor of pork Ibericuswas giving away free samples of Pata Negra to a crowd who were clearly as excited as I was about the shop’s autumn opening. I can only describe its stall as “mobbed”. Newcomer to the street Vinnies Deli was handing out aubergine with pomegranate, and a delicious quinoa salad. And the guy who works in weirdly kinky glasses shop De Brillemaeker was selling the best marinated chicken saté I’ve ever tasted. And he wasn’t even representing a restaurant.
As for the same companies turning up year after year, isn’t this something to be celebrated? The fact that local shops and restaurants are even still in business after what feels like an endless recession is testament to their staying power. And if they’re loyal to the food fair, so much the better. It’s about the fifth time I’ve been along to the New Food Fair myself, and I’m happy to see independent local businesses making a success of Amsterdam’s food scene – their willingness to participate every year is something to be proud of.
And finally, if the street’s other stores choose to take advantage of the increased custom, who are we to argue? In a city in which I’m endlessly surprised by people’s ability not to sell me something (by not offering me an aperitif in a restaurant, for instance, or not offering to help find what I’m looking for in a store) a healthy dose of commercial opportunism doesn’t go amiss.
Perhaps, then, the problem with the New Food Fair is its name: maybe it’s not all that new, and maybe it’s not all about food. Maybe they should rename it the Haarlemmerstraat Annual Street Fair. But from what I saw on Saturday, if visitors are having fun and local businesses are making money in tough times, that’s all that really matters.
