Nic and Jessy

A new generation is securing the future of the Hoeve Melsen farm shop

How do you ensure that a farm shop will still be relevant in thirty years’ time? At Hoeve Melsen in Ossendrecht, Nic and Jessy Melsen have found the answer: not by doing more of the same, but through innovation. In recent years, the shop has been given a complete makeover. With a contemporary range, unstaffed shops and personalised service, they are demonstrating that local produce and innovation go hand in hand.

“Where does this come from?” That’s a question Nic and Jessy are hearing more and more often. Whereas customers used to pop in mainly for potatoes, eggs or a punnet of strawberries, they now also want to know who produces their meat, where the cheese comes from and what’s in a product.

Customers are making more conscious choices
According to Jessy, this is perhaps the biggest change of recent years. “People are much more conscious of what they eat. They ask questions about the origin and want to know how something is made.” They notice this every day in the shop. Even during an open day at their meat supplier’s premises, many customers wander around curiously. They take a look around the business, ask questions and want to see for themselves how things are done. “That trust is important to people.”

That’s why Nic and Jessy only choose products whose story they know. Their meat comes directly from a farm with its own abattoir, the dairy products are from the region, and the wine comes from the ‘ Brabantse Wal. Anyone buying a jar of olive oil will also immediately hear the story of the entrepreneurs from Ossendrecht who source the oil themselves from Italy. “Our customers know many of those entrepreneurs personally too. That makes it personal.”

Time for a fresh perspective
When Nic and Jessy decided to take over the shop from his parents, they knew one thing for certain: it was high time for a change. “Everything was actually already thirty years old,” says Jessy. So they regularly set off in the car. Not to visit suppliers, but to seek inspiration. They drove past farm shops all over the Netherlands. How do they present their products? What’s the atmosphere like? And above all: why do you enjoy coming back here? Gradually, a clear vision emerged of the shop they wanted to create. It’s still all about local produce, but the range is now much broader. Naturally, there’s asparagus, strawberries, cherries, plums, apples and pears when the season calls for them. But cheeses from Lekkerkerk, pancake mix from the mill in Oud-Vossemeer, nuts, chocolate, herbs, tea and jams have also found a place on the shelves.

The latter is no coincidence: through the national Landwinkel partnership, farm shops throughout the Netherlands work together and exchange products and ideas. “Products that don’t come from this region all originate from other farm shops. It makes it feel a bit like we’re all working together…”

Local and convenient
A new shop on its own isn’t enough. Nic and Jessy have noticed that people are increasingly keen to buy locally, but also value convenience. That’s why they’re not stopping at the refurbished shop in Ossendrecht. They’ve now also opened an unstaffed shop in Hoogerheide and a vending machine shop where customers can pop in from morning until evening. A quick pop in to pick up some potatoes, a carton of eggs, honey, apples or seasonal fruit: “You don’t have to set aside a whole afternoon just for that.” The reactions perhaps surprise them the most. “When I’m restocking the shop, people often say: ‘We’re so glad you’re here’.”

A shop where they know your name
No matter how modern the shop becomes, there’s one thing Nic and Jessy absolutely don’t want to lose. “We want it to feel like a neighbourhood shop.” They know many customers by name. They know where people live and if someone accidentally forgets something, they’ll sometimes just pop round to deliver it. According to Jessy, it’s precisely this combination that makes all the difference. The shop is evolving with the times, without becoming aloof. “We like it when people feel welcome.”

Nic also plays his part, even though he still works full-time as a project manager in the wind energy sector. He oversaw the entire refurbishment of the shop and still regularly helps out on Saturdays. Meanwhile, his parents still take care of the daily orders. “My job gives me plenty of flexibility to balance the two. I really appreciate that.”

The future begins in the farmyard
The refurbished shop has only just opened, but sitting still isn’t Nic and Jessy’s style. There are already sheep, geese and goats in the farmyard. Jessy loves horses, and perhaps more animals will join them in the future. Or a play area where children can have fun whilst their parents do their shopping. In addition, a special project lies ahead. On the farm stands the house built in 1936 by Nic’s great-grandparents. The family will be moving there soon.

The house is set to undergo a major refurbishment, but will remain the home of the fourth generation of the Melsen family. Anyone who knows Nic and Jessy even a little will realise that new ideas are bound to spring up there.

Visit the Landwinkel Hoeve Melsen website

September 2026