Stully: food, beer and hospitality

A stack of soft, freshly-baked European breads—crusty baguettes, pillowy focaccia with rosemary sprigs, and round, golden pretzels—arranged chaotically yet artfully atop a cheerful, cerulean blue linen cloth. This lively display is on a rustic wooden bench next to a round, bright yellow bowl filled with whipped butter. Bright, natural afternoon sunlight pours in from the left, casting energetic, soft-edged shadows and accentuating the varied golden hues and fluffy, inviting textures. Captured from eye-level with a slight side angle, placing the breads front and center with a vivid, bokeh background of whimsical kitchen elements. The photographic realism and bright, airy colors mirror the playful charm and hospitality of enjoying European breads at leisure.

Stully Hospitality

Contemplating food, beer and hospitality while I settle into a life in Europe. Sharing discoveries, flavours, and everyday moments from a traveler-chef’s lens.

A glossy, oversized tulip-shaped beer glass filled with golden, foamy craft beer, thick bubbles clinging to the glass, and a whimsical swirl of foam arching playfully over the rim. The glass sits at the center of a round wooden pub table with quirky, bright ceramic snack dishes in deep reds and greens scattered nearby. Warm pendant lighting above creates shimmering highlights on the glass and a lively, energetic glow across the wood grain. Shot from a slightly elevated angle with sharp focus on the beer, the background playfully blurs into joyful, rounded forms of colorful decor, giving an upbeat, inviting vibe. The overall style is photographic, vividly colorful, and tailored to convey the playful spirit of modern European pub culture, perfectly capturing the site's celebration of beer and conviviality.

About the Journey

A stack of soft, freshly-baked European breads—crusty baguettes, pillowy focaccia with rosemary sprigs, and round, golden pretzels—arranged chaotically yet artfully atop a cheerful, cerulean blue linen cloth. This lively display is on a rustic wooden bench next to a round, bright yellow bowl filled with whipped butter. Bright, natural afternoon sunlight pours in from the left, casting energetic, soft-edged shadows and accentuating the varied golden hues and fluffy, inviting textures. Captured from eye-level with a slight side angle, placing the breads front and center with a vivid, bokeh background of whimsical kitchen elements. The photographic realism and bright, airy colors mirror the playful charm and hospitality of enjoying European breads at leisure.

After 11 years in the hospitality business in the US Midwest (craft beer focused), I decided that I wanted to do what I’ve always thought about: moving to and living in The Netherlands. Yet ANOTHER masters later (MBA this time), and a passion for hospitality that I just can’t seem to shake, I’ve decided to share my thoughts here.

I’m always fascinated by cultural differences, however they seem to show up. My experience leans heavily towards managing and operating craft beer bars, but other job and life experiences gives me a fortunately (or unfortunate) keen eye when it comes to service and hospitality. While “hospitality” takes many forms, my focus is mostly on experiences in both dining and drinking establishments. Not just high-end places, but extreme differences in how even a corner pub for example treats their customers (vs. somewhere back home) is fascinating to me. My patient and (hopefully) open mind is mostly ok with what I see, but the business-minded manager in me sometimes sees things and says “do you hate making money?” Maybe I’m wrong and maybe it’s my prejudices, but I still find it interesting. Feel free to let me know why I’m an idiot.

Oh, and of course you’ll see stuff here about food (cooking), beer, and other things as well. Maybe just an honest review about something I came across, or a fun recipe that I picked up.