Jonnie Boer, De Librije in Zwolle
Three-Michelin star chef Jonnie Boer dies aged 60
+1 Jonnie Boer, a three-Michelin star chef, has passed away at the age of sixty.
The prestigious chef, one of the Netherlands’ most influential chefs and a trailblazer of modern Dutch cuisine, passed away on April 23, 2025.
Jonnie Boer took over three Michelin-starred De Librije with his wife Thérèse Boer in 1992, having cooked there since 1989.
De Librije has retained its three-star status ever since, and following recent changes to other establishments, it became and remains the only three-Michelin-starred restaurant in the Netherlands.
In 1995 De Librije joined the Alliance Gastronomique Neerlandaise - Holland's most prestigious culinary association which aim is to develop, guard and promote our national culinary heritage.' In 1997, the publishing house of Waanders launched the first book, Pure.
In the same year Jonnie was promoted as Chef de Cuisine. In 2001, the Purer Cookbook, our second book, was published, followed two years later by the Purely Natural and Natural Enjoyment.
Jonnie was a pioneer of modern Dutch terroir-based cuisine, sourcing local produce, foraging, and even fishing himself. His dishes were inventive yet rooted in the Dutch landscape. Notable plates from De Librije included:
• Milk Cow with Smoked Eel, goat cheese, and baharat – served dramatically on a cow’s shoulder blade
• Langoustine with Vanilla Kombucha – a fresh, acidic twist on ceviche
• Pike-perch from IJsselmeer, smoked bacon, and Riesling beurre blanc
• Tulip Bulbs with Turmeric and Black Garlic – a dish that turned heads for its creativity
The latest book, PUURST, was published on June 3rd 2012, completing the trilogy and recently won ‘Best Chef Cookbook’ 2013, awarded by the Gourmand World Cookbook awards.
Jonnie passed away on 23 April 2025 in Bonaire at the age of 60 due to a pulmonary embolism.
According to Dutch newspaper, In February, Boer told the Telegraaf that it was time to take a step back after years of hard work, he said: “It is great that something we have worked on for 35 years can stay in the family.”
Jonnie is survived by Thérèse, who was also De Librije’s hostess and sommelier, and their two children, Jimmie and Isabelle.
The Staff Canteen would like to pass on their sympathies to the family and friends at this difficult time.
Written by Abi Kinsella
In these challenging times…
The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.
Over the last 16 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 560,000 followers across Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.
A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.
Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.
Support Us
CONTRIBUTE
Three-Michelin star chef Jonnie Boer dies aged 60
Sylvia Hendriksen
There are no comments yet.
You could be commenting on this if you had an account! Click here to sign up.