This summer, fine dining found a new setting in the heart of the Amsterdamse Bos. Chefs in het Bos returned for its second edition, transforming the forest into an open-air celebration of some of the Netherlands’ finest gastronomy.
Across two weekends, 31 July to 2 August and 7 to 9 August, 24 Michelin-starred restaurants took part, with a changing line-up of chefs each weekend. From established names in Dutch gastronomy to international talent, the event brought an impressive collection of culinary expertise together under the canopy of the forest.
Rather than a traditional fine dining experience, Chefs in het Bos invited guests to create their own culinary journey. There were no formal dining rooms or set menus; instead, guests could wander between the different chef stations, discovering three to five dishes from each kitchen and building their own selection of courses along the way. Dishes were cooked and served in the open air, creating a relaxed festival atmosphere while retaining the precision and creativity of Michelin-starred dining.
With live cooking, music and the natural surroundings of the Amsterdamse Bos providing the backdrop, the result was a celebration of food that felt both elevated and wonderfully informal.
Looking to the Future
Alongside the incredible food, this year's edition explored an important question: what might gastronomy look like in 2050?
Under the theme Roots of 2050, chefs were encouraged to look towards the future through their cooking, exploring ideas around sustainability, innovative ingredients and new approaches to fine dining. The event's wider focus was on showing how creativity and responsibility can come together to shape the food of tomorrow.
It was a fitting backdrop for an event centred around discovery, and one where Saicho found its place naturally.
Saicho in the Forest
Throughout the festival, Saicho was served behind the bar, with Jasmine, Darjeeling and Hojicha each bringing their own character to the experience.
Made from carefully selected single-origin teas from renowned tea-growing regions, Saicho celebrates the individual character of each leaf. Each tea is cold brewed for 24 hours before being thoughtfully balanced and finished with fine bubbles, creating an elegant expression designed to be enjoyed alongside food.
With such a diverse range of dishes being served throughout the forest, the three teas offered three very different ways to explore food and flavour.
Jasmine - Bright, Fragrant & Delicate
Made from handpicked green tea from Fuding, Fujian, Jasmine is bright, aromatic and beautifully delicate.
Its tasting notes of apple, lychee and vanilla give the tea a fresh, fruit-led character, while its floral qualities make it an elegant partner for lighter dishes. Think seafood, fresh vegetables, delicate herbs and dishes with subtle sweetness.
The fine bubbles add another layer of freshness, making Jasmine an effortless pairing for dishes where you want to enhance the ingredients without overpowering them.
Darjeeling - Complex, Citrus & Spiced
From the renowned tea gardens of the foothills of the Himalayas, Darjeeling offers a more layered and structured expression.
With tasting notes of mandarin, ginger and wood spice, it brings citrus brightness alongside warming, aromatic depth. Its complexity makes it particularly well suited to richer dishes, roasted ingredients and flavours with spice or gentle sweetness.
The result is a pairing that brings out different sides of both the food and the tea, the mandarin adding lift, while the ginger and wood spice complement deeper, more savoury flavours.
Hojicha - Roasted, Nutty & Umami
Hojicha takes a distinctly different direction. Made from roasted green tea, it has a naturally deep and savoury character, with tasting notes of nori seaweed, roasted hazelnut and chestnut.
Its rich, toasted profile makes it particularly well suited to umami-led dishes, grilled ingredients, mushrooms, seafood and roasted vegetables. The roasted notes echo those deeper flavours, while the sparkle brings freshness and balance to the pairing.
A Celebration of Food & Discovery
Perhaps what made Saicho such a natural fit for Chefs in het Bos was the event's shared sense of curiosity.
The festival encouraged guests to step outside the traditional boundaries of fine dining, to wander, taste, discover new chefs and experience exceptional food in a completely different environment. Saicho offered a similar opportunity to look at tea differently: taking exceptional single-origin teas and transforming them into elegant sparkling serves made for the table.
From the bright and fragrant character of Jasmine, to the complexity of Darjeeling and the roasted depth of Hojicha, each expression brought something different to the forest.
A weekend of exceptional chefs, inventive dishes and thoughtful pairings, with Saicho poured alongside it all.