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We have just returned from an excellent week at Hof van Saksen. We had high hopes after reading all the reviews, and we were not disappointed. There was so much to keep my 4 and 6 year old kids entertained and busy that, unbelievably, the grown ups were actually able to relax!
The idea of being able to relax on holiday is something I have pretty much given up on since having children. Apart from the obvious trials of travelling with kids, both of my children have allergies to dairy, egg and soy. Travelling with food allergies can be anxiety inducing, and the level of planning needed is next level! I know that many families are in the same situation as us, so I wanted to share our experiences at Hof van Saksen to help others plan.
Below you will find info about what dairy alternatives were available and where, the best options for eating out at Hof van Saksen with allergies, some useful translations, and a few ideas for easy dairy and egg free dinners!
The onsite shop has a good selection of food, including lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and all the basics you would expect. However, if you are specifically shopping for dairy alternatives the selection is a bit limited. There were a few plant based milk alternatives, including alpro soy and nut milks, but no oat milk. When we were there, they had no dairy free cheese, yogurts, or creams. There was however a good selection of plant based spreads.
So, I would recommend taking your own dairy free alternatives in a cool box, or heading to Albert Heijn which has a really excellent selection…
I asked my Instagram followers for the best place to buy allergy friendly foods in the Netherlands and the advice was unanimous – Albert Heijn!
There was a good sized store (AH De Weide) about 25 minutes drive from Hof van Saksen, and handily on our driving route. There is also a store (AH Bremstraat) just over 10 minutes drive away – about half an hour on a bike!
I was majorly impressed with the plant based alternatives available at Albert Heijn. They had a big selection of dairy free milks like Alpro (various nut based milks and coconut) and Oatly (including an orange and mango version I have very rarely seen in the UK), as well as lots of other brands. They also had a good selection of dairy free cheese – mostly different varieties of Violife. They had oatly cream, which is useful for cooking, and lots of plant based spreads. Make sure to look out for the Albert Heijn own brand plant based chocolate mousse which was delicious!
The app which you use to book activities and restaurants showed menus for each of the on site restaurants, but no ingredients or allergen information. So, I decided to email in advance to ask what would be suitable. I got a very helpful email back saying that there would be an option to specify any allergies when booking on the app, and also to let the waiting staff know when ordering. They advised that the Grand Cafe and Al Fresco restaurants would have options available, but that Gusto (the Italian restaurant) would be less suitable.
We ended up eating at the Grand Cafe twice. The staff I talked to took the childrens’ allergies seriously, checked with the chef before putting through the order, confirmed with us, and added a written allergy warning to the order. The children were able to have the cod and chips, and chicken and chips which they loved! Unfortunately none of the desserts were suitable, as is often the case. Luckily we had anticipated this and took along a little treat for afterwards.
In the end we didn’t eat at Al Fresco – a self service restaurant – but I did have a long chat with the restaurant manager. She offered to show me around the buffet, and explained that the chef would do a tour for anyone with allergies at the start of their meal. They were also open to adapting dishes which were out to make them allergy friendly.
We have got used to calippos being the only dairy free options on holidays, which always causes some disappointment. So, I was very pleased to find that they had a number of ice lolly options available at the beach kiosk and in the shop. This included dairy free twisters, rockets and some fruit lollies (and yes, calippos). There was also a Starbucks in the indoor play area which has a number of dairy free fruit flavoured lollies and smoothies. I didn’t see any vegan ice cream, but having a selection of lollies to choose from made up for that!
For the majority of our meals we cooked and ate at home. Our four person farmhouse had a really well equipped kitchen, and had everything we needed. It’s worth being aware that the farmhouses have got hobs and combi microwaves, but no oven.
Here a few quick dairy and egg free dinner ideas which worked well for us:
Thankfully, the allergen labelling laws are the same as Britain, so the top allergens must be emphasised (usually shown in bold). Here are the dutch translations you will need to look out for on packaging.
Milk = Melk
Dairy = Zuivel
Eggs = Ei
Soy = Soja
Free from… = Vrij van…
Every staff member we talked to at Hof van Saksen had good enough English for me to explain the childrens’ allergies to them. However, it’s useful to know the Dutch translation just in case:
“My child is allergic to dairy/soy/eggs. Is this meal safe for them?” = “ Mijn kind heeft een zuivel/soja/ei allergie. Kan hij dit veilig eten?”
If you want something more comprehensive for taking into restaurants, you can buy allergy warning translation cards from Allergy UK.
I hope that this information is helpful for anyone else travelling with dairy, egg or soy allergies. It can be a challenge but knowing in advance what is available means you can go prepared and enjoy your holiday!
Blog by Amy from The Allergy Mums Club
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