Street Food City reveals the often unseen world behind the cart: stories of migration, family businesses, night shifts, regulation, and resilience. It positions street vending not only as food culture, but as a lens through which to understand urban life, labor, and belonging.

In close dialogue with MOFAD’s curatorial team, Mattmo contributed to the early conceptual framework of the exhibition. Our focus was on how storytelling, multimedia, and sensory design could translate lived experience into a museum context — creating an exhibition that feels human, layered, and immersive rather than purely informational.

We helped explore narrative approaches that prioritize voices over facts, intimacy over spectacle, and reflection over explanation. Concepts included audio-driven storytelling, video portraits from the vendor’s point of view, interactive city mapping, and participatory elements that invite visitors to connect their own food memories to the broader story of street vending. Sensory layers — sound, image, smell, and taste — were considered as key tools to evoke the rhythm, density, and poetry of the street.

A central theme in our contribution was extending the exhibition beyond the museum walls: imagining street carts as communication platforms, digital tools that connect the exhibition to the city, and participatory formats that allow the public to engage with street food culture in real urban space.

Through this work, Mattmo supported MOFAD’s mission to present food as culture — highlighting street vendors as cultural agents who continuously shape the city, its flavors, and its social fabric.

Het bericht MOFAD — Street vending exhibition verscheen eerst op Mattmo Creative - Amsterdam.

The Pickled City takes a glorious deep dive into the history of the iconic brined cucumber by tracing the pickle’s journey from ancient Mesopotamia to Eastern Europe to Manhattan’s Lower East Side, unearthing a hidden world of family stories and economic contributions that helped shape New York’s cultural, culinary, and literal foundations.

The book will be released on March 31, 2026, and is now available for pre-order. https://www.amazon.com/dp/179723837X

With the endorsement of chefs Yotam Ottolenghi and Dan Barber, a foreword by pickle pioneer Sandor Katz and an astonishing wealth of photographs, historical images, documents, illustrations, advertisements, and more, this unique food biography includes:

• A brief history of the pickle from 2400 BCE – 2026.
• An overview of the rise of the pickle industry in the United States, which has grown substantially in recent years.
• Profiles of immigrant families and their iconic pickle companies, including enduring brands like Katz, Heinz, Underwood, and Vlasic.
• A survey of the profusion of pickle peddlers, stands, and stores across the Lower East Side from 1850 – 1980, exploring how the pickle industry was born and survived through decades of change, with playful text and incredible archival images.
• The stories behind New York’s most recognizable pickle stores and brands, including Guss’ Pickles, The Pickleman, The Pickle Guys, Russ & Daughters, Katz’s Deli, and Ba-Tampte.
• And much more!

Written and illustrated with warmth and humor, this culinary chronicle is perfect for anyone curious about how the pickle became such a popular snack choice, gourmet condiment, and TikTok sensation. It’s for food lovers, pickle mavens, Jewish readers, New Yorkers, deli aficionados, history buffs, readers interested in gut health, bubbies around the globe, and anyone who can trace roots to the Lower East Side.

UNIQUE FOOD HISTORY: This visually stunning and deeply researched volume explores the economic, social, and culinary history of immigrant New York pickle merchants and the ancient history of the humble pickle with humor and affection.

POPULAR PICKLES: Can you guess how many views #pickles has on TikTok? More than nine billion, that’s how many. Get in on the pickle craze by learning more than you ever knew there was to learn about New York City’s deli staple.

AMAZING ARCHIVAL IMAGES: The hundreds of images gracing these pages―including color and black-and-white photographs, newspaper archives, family photos, maps, food art, street photography, and much more―are culled from the New York Historical Society, bringing the narrative to vivid life.

Perfect for:

• Food lovers and pickle enthusiasts
• Jewish history and culture buffs
• New Yorkers and visitors
• Readers interested in visual history and archival treasures

Follow us on Instagram #thepickledcity

Het bericht The Pickled City  verscheen eerst op Mattmo Creative - Amsterdam.

Together with chefs, culture makers and producers, Monique Mulder (Mattmo) co-founded Dutch Cuisine in 2015, a movement that puts Dutch cuisine and food culture on the map at home and abroad.

About Dutch Cuisine

Dutch Cuisine is a foundation that aims to promote awareness of Dutch food culture. Dutch Cuisine wants to change behavior, make the chain more sustainable and put Dutch food culture on the map nationally and internationally. The starting point is a manifesto with five principles: seasonal, 80% vegetable, natural and “no waste”, quality products and future-proof. As Dutch Cuisine’s branding and communication agency, Mattmo Creative takes care of the brand and communication strategy and all communication to Dutch Cuisine’s target groups at policy level, operational level and to the general public. Dutch Cuisine is positioned as the connecting link in making food production and consumption more sustainable.

With an integrated approach, the target groups are reached and engaged at all levels.

The strategy

With an integrated approach, the target groups are reached and engaged at all levels. For policymakers and professional target groups, the emphasis is on cooperation in realizing the availability of sustainable products and Dutch Cuisine meals in the hospitality industry and catering and promoting the Dutch Cuisine ideas, also through top chefs and food professionals as ambassadors. For the general public, the emphasis is on informing and inspiring. Across the board, the value of Dutch food culture, local products and inspiration to be creative with Dutch products is accentuated: we can be proud of our Dutch food culture!

Providing inspiring experiences! To see, to do, to taste!

The initiators of Dutch Cuisine, including co-founder Monique Mulder (Mattmo), would like to see Dutch cuisine more sustainable and varied and the chefs are the change agents.

The approach

Based on a number of KPIs (number of Dutch Cuisine restaurants, contact moments, meals consumed), a long-term integrated communication campaign has been set out in a resources and media calendar. We aim for maximum effectiveness in reaching the target groups mentioned at the lowest possible costs. Communication is also provided about all Dutch Cuisine (collaboration) projects, for example recipe development with replacement proteins. An extensive package of communication tools is used, both online and offline. Resources include the website (b2b and b2c), toolkits (including for short chains and The Netherlands branding), presentations, inspiration videos, e-mail newsletters, blog, social media, downloadable press kits, window stickers, brochures, events and exhibition materials, recipe cards and Dutch Cuisine routes https://dutch-cuisineroutes.nl. Current events, such as the heavy impact of corona on the catering industry, are actively responded to.

The impact

Dutch Cuisine is becoming increasingly known and followed. As of June 2020, 162 million contact moments have been achieved (112 million above target) and 39 million Dutch Cuisine dishes have been consumed (34 million above target). The reach on social media has also increased enormously – approximately 407,500 visitors in the last five months, more than 30% above forecast. Dutch Cuisine is a project partner with international national and local policymakers, is supported in the professional food sector and has built up a reputation among the general public. This summer we expect to expand the website with booking options at Dutch Cuisine restaurants. Dutch Cuisine has become a movement with impact.

Dutch Cuisine Routes

A wandering past the trendsetters of the Netherlands. Our food culture is more than the catering industry, the restaurant and the food on the plate.

Our food culture is more than the catering industry, the restaurant and the food on the plate. There is a whole experience surrounding it, which is shaped by our culture, our landscape, our history, the story, the people behind it, the products and recipes that result from this and the movement over time. Mattmo brings this to life in the Dutch Cuisine routes through stories of the chefs, producers, culture and opinion makers. We surprise you per region with fun and interesting facts and associated activities: ‘to do – to see – to taste’. Choose according to your own taste which points on the route you want to visit, create your own wandering past the trendsetters of the Netherlands and experience our food culture.

View the routes at: dutch-cuisineroutes.nl

Dutch Cuisine Matchmaking Local Food

Knowledge, experience and network in all aspects of setting up a short chain with regional products.

Dutch Cuisine encourages the use of locally produced food in the catering industry. Because unfortunately that still happens far too little. Why is that anyway? Is there such a mismatch between supply and demand of products? Or is it simply because producers and catering entrepreneurs are not aware of each other’s existence? Could it be due to the distribution channels? So it’s high time to put it to the test in a pilot region. Mattmo did this in collaboration with Dutch Cuisine and other partners in the Kempen region in North Brabant. Matchmaking Local Food is about setting up a short chain between regional producers and the catering industry in the same region. There is a match when ordering and delivery takes place. The pilot in the Kempen and surrounding areas has yielded a lot, such as knowledge, experience and network in all aspects of setting up a short chain with regional products. This certainly deserves to be followed in other regions. That is why the entire process from initiative to implementation has been recorded in the ‘Toolkit Dutch Cuisine Matchmaking Local Food’.

Result

Dutch Cuisine focuses on all stakeholders and partners who contribute to the ambition to put Dutch food culture on the map

Putting the Dutch food culture firmly and sustainably on the map is something that you cannot do alone. This requires collaborations. With chefs and restaurants, for example. But also with other people and organizations that influence our diet; from producer to wholesaler and from policymaker to consumer. Only by joining forces and entering into partnerships within all links of the food chain can we truly make our food consumption more sustainable. In collaboration with Dutch Cuisine, Mattmo has now created a large network of partners who contribute to the goals of Dutch Cuisine. And that didn’t do any harm. The goals set during the Food Summit in 2017 have now been amply achieved and 653 restaurants have joined. The end goal is 1,000 restaurants by 2020.

A different view

A series of background photo reports from Chefs

achterdeschermen.dutch-cuisine.nl

Questions about this
or that?

contact

Het bericht Dutch cuisine verscheen eerst op Mattmo Creative - Amsterdam.

Layer by layer, the authors of this book, Paul van Ravestein and Monique Mulder from Mattmo, map out the story of Amsterdam’s pickles in ‘De Zure Stad’ (The Pickled City); from pickling shops, canneries and auctions to the hawkers. ‘De Zure Stad’ shows with more than four hundred striking images how pickles have determined the cultural identity of Amsterdam. The pickles, onions and herrings paint the history and development of the city.

Paul van Ravestein and Monique Mulder are the creative brains behind the communications and design agency Mattmo Creative, he as creative director and she as founder. For ‘De Zure Stad‘, they spent more than three years going through countless documents, interviews and photos in the archives. Buy the book here.

Radio documentary about “De Zure Stad”

Christianne Alvarado from the VPRO history radio program OVT made a beautiful audio document based on our book, listen to the 31-minute documentary (in Dutch) here: https://www.vpro.nl/programmas/ovt/speel~PREPR_RA1_17059886~het-spoor-terug-zuur-amsterdam~.html

a beautiful
audio document

Questions about this
or that?

contact

Het bericht De Zure Stad verscheen eerst op Mattmo Creative - Amsterdam.

The municipality of Utrecht and NS have issued this tender for the 15 hectare former NS industrial estate. Previously it was a shunting yard, rail workshop and bus garage. This is the largest tender in the Netherlands. Cartess was conceived around the people, they form the social cement, which is visibly stimulated in the design of neighborhoods and courtyards. A neighborhood where people live together in a healthy, green and sustainable way and can fully enjoy music, exercise and good food.

Concepting & branding

Mattmo was part of the concept team and wrote, among other things, the manifesto below as a starting point for the identity of the area.

Mattmo was asked by developer AM to join the consortium, which was led by AM, Blauwhoed, Aalberts and Boei in collaboration with architectural firms Fabrications, Next Architects, Plein 06, Barcode, Felixx landscape and JvantSpijker and artist impressions specialist Wax.

Mattmo was part of the concept team and wrote, among other things, the manifesto below as a starting point for the identity of the area. Mattmo helped think about the programming of the area to roll out the concept integrally within architecture, public space and programming of food, music and sports. Came up with the name Cartess and translated the concept into a visual identity, bid book including picture editing and film.

Well Community Standard

Health and wellbeing

Cartess has the Well Community Standard as a permanent basis: a measurable factor for well-being and health of the area and the buildings in it. The principles of WELL are based on health and well-being, through the design and realization of inclusive, integral and resilient communities. With the aim of a healthy and happy living environment for its residents and users.

The beating heart of Cartess is formed by the CAB building. The monumental former bus repair site. A historical landmark: industrial heritage of the Dutch Railways where, as in the past, the manufacturing industry takes center stage. In the CAB building we combine catering and creative activity with a broad stage program.

The other consortium of Meijer Realty Partners (MRP) and Ballast Nedam ultimately won this competition.

Manifesto

I am a new neighborhood in Utrecht.

I am a stubborn pioneer.

I am progressive, social and sustainable.

I am the connector.

Het bericht Cartess, Utrecht verscheen eerst op Mattmo Creative - Amsterdam.

Challenge

How can we develop innovative and sustainable solutions in active collaboration with the creative industry, business and (local) government?

How can we build a network of creative and sustainable experts who develop solutions for a sustainable future? CCLab’s aim consists of seeking creative and sustainable solutions for urgent and complex social issues. We see design as a fundamental means of communication in this process.
The responsibility of design goes beyond simply economic interest; it also has a social and global impact.

Solution

Young educational top talent and experienced professionals are both necessary for optimal development of knowledge and successful innovation.

Creative City Lab has a concrete ‘open innovation formula and approach,’ where innovative powers from the creative industry, education and business collaborate. The Lab’s first edition focused on making living areas more sustainable.   

Now more than ever, creativity should start in the boardroom. It belongs in the early stages of the process. There should be a creative director at board level. Creativity is too often the icing on the cake, but companies must become aware of its economic value. It enriches the product, ensures that your brand is taken seriously. The political world has gotten the message: the creative sector has moved up from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, to Economic Affairs. A positive development in a crucial industry.

Result

Examples of sustainable customer solutions created during CCLab consist of ‘de slimme meter’ (smart meter) and ‘Zonnehypotheek’ (solar mortgage).

Mattmo is founding partner of this organization. Furthermore, Mattmo takes part in short innovation workshops, where we develop new business concepts under high pressure. 

Het bericht Creative City Lab verscheen eerst op Mattmo Creative - Amsterdam.