Lars van Galen hands 't Lansink in Hengelo to new owners
The Michelin-starred chef cooks his last service on 26 December. Stef Hofstede and Melissa Hofstede-Groeneveld take over the 1916 hotel on 1 January and keep all the staff.
Lars van Galen will leave Hotel & Restaurant 't Lansink in Hengelo at the end of 2026, handing the Michelin-starred house to Stef Hofstede and Melissa Hofstede-Groeneveld from 1 January 2027. His last service is on Saturday 26 December, with a menu written specially for Christmas.
Van Galen has led the kitchen since 2012, and the restaurant won its Michelin star in 2013, keeping it without interruption through every edition since, including the Michelin Guide Netherlands 2026. The business he is passing on is larger than the dining room: ChefsFriends puts it at 25 hotel rooms with a substantial corporate trade. All employees stay on under the new owners, according to Misset Horeca.
The house dates from 1916 and stands in Tuindorp 't Lansink, the protected garden village tied to Hengelo's industrial growth and to the Stork family. The Michelin Guide describes menus built on local produce, from Twente asparagus to regional game, and a chef's table alongside the rooms upstairs.
The deed changes hands on 1 January; the star is the inspectors' decision.
Why Lars van Galen is stepping back
Van Galen, 48, told ChefsFriends that managing a large business had come to crowd out the stove, and that he wants more time with his children. "My greatest passion is and remains cooking," he said in the announcement reported by Misset Horeca. He plans to rest first, may take on work as a culinary adviser, and describes his longer-term aim as a personal place with a limited number of tables where he cooks himself. No location or date has been given.
Whether the star stays with the address is an open question. A Michelin star is not withdrawn automatically when a chef leaves, RTV Oost notes; the inspectors come back to judge the restaurant under its new kitchen.
New owners plan a phased renovation
Stef Hofstede grew up in the countryside around Hengelo, trained as a specialist chef at the Cas Spijkers Academie in Twente and won the Cas Spijkers Award in 2016. Melissa Hofstede-Groeneveld studied business administration at Windesheim and built her career on the commercial side of the food industry. The couple had been looking for a business of their own for about a year when they approached Van Galen.
Their plans cover renewed hotel rooms and facilities, a further developed restaurant, a new brand identity and more attention to meetings, lunches and multi-day corporate events. The work will be phased, with respect for the listed building, and RTV Oost reports that the new owners will welcome guests from 7 January. "We have great admiration for what Lars has built here," the couple said.
For diners, the deed changes hands on a fixed date. The star does not: the next Dutch Michelin selection will show whether it belonged to the chef or to the house.
