Star chef delivers 100,000 signatures for tap water in restaurants

A total of 100 thousand Dutch people signed a petition asking restaurants in the Netherlands to put tap water on the menu. Star chef Richard van Oostenbrugge of two star restaurant Bord'Eau Restaurant Gastronomique in Amsterdam will be handing the petition over to Martijn Naberman, who represents the fuure of the hospitality industry as director of Tio Hotel School in Amsterdam, on Monday, tap water company Dunea announced.

A study conducted by TNS NIPO in December 2015 shows that 75 percent of Dutch was refused tap water in restaurants at least once. And this while 70 percent indicated they are willing to pay for it. Half indicated that they give restaurants offering free tap water a better review.

90 percent stated that they consider a carafe of tap water on the table a sign of good hospitality and 60 percent expect this. Furthermore 75 percent of wine drinkers indicated that they do not drink less wine if there is tap water on the table.

The petition is a initiative of Vitens in collaboration with Dunea, PWN, Brabant Water, Oasen and partners like Jongeren op Gezond Gewicht and the Voedingscentrum. These parties hope that the petition will make tap water available in restaurants, festivals and public spaces.