Inspiration

Fifteen Amsterdam is no ordinary restaurant. It is also host to a social project which it operates in cooperation with a foundation called Kookdroom. Every year the Kookdroom Foundation selects 15 to 20 disadvantaged but highly motivated young people and gives them the chance to become chefs and reintegrate into the community. Fifteen and the Kookdroom Foundation train these young chefs for 16 months, teaching them both theory and practical cookery skills in the Fifteen kitchen, and then helps them to find employment. Kookdroom Foundation employs a full-time training and development chef, Michael, and Simone, a project manager.

The Foundation is mainly financed by the restaurant, but is also partly dependent on local subsidies and other contributions from private funds and sponsors.