Herman van Ham (16 April 1931 – 2 August 2012) was a Dutch head chef. He worked in the Michelin starred Hostellerie De Hamert, in Wellerlooi, the Netherlands, when it earned his stars in the period 1963-1989.
Herman van Ham | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1931-04-16)16 April 1931[1] Nijehaske, The Netherlands |
| Died | 2 August 2012(2012-08-02) (aged 81) Wellerlooi, The Netherlands[2] |
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Occupation | Chef |
| Employer | Hostellerie De Hamert |
| Known for | Michelin star |
| Successor | Bertus Liefting[3] |
| Partner | Riek Schoester |
| Children | 1 son, 3 daughters |
In 1952, Van Ham started working at De Hamert as an assistant. Soon after that he took over as head chef and stayed till his retirement in 1988.[4]
Herman van Ham specialized in asparagus to such an extent that he had several nicknames related to this. He was named as De Ongekroonde Koning van de Asperge (Eng.:The uncrowned king of Asparagus),[5] Asperge Paus (Eng.:Asparagus Pope)[6] and Mister Asperge (Eng.: Mister Asparagus).[7] One of his famous asparagus dishes was the "Cocktail Prins Alexander", a combination of chicken, asparagus and oranges, created in 1967 in celebration of the birth of Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange.[8][9]
After his retirement, Van Ham started collecting asparagus dishes. His collection went on display in Keramiekcentrum Tiendschuur Tegelen in 2012 under the name "Het keramische bedje voor de asperge." (Eng.: The ceramic bed for the asparagus.)[10] Earlier, in 2008, his collection was on display in Aspergemuseum De Locht[11]
Herman van Ham died on 2 August 2012, after an illness.[12]