From Garden to Table – Learning to Cook in a Regenerative Kitchen
As a culinary intern at Yugen Forest, you’ll cook with what the land provides: freshly harvested vegetables, herbs, flowers and fruits from our gardens and food forests. You’ll help prepare meals for retreats, community gatherings, weddings and trainings, and collaborate on menus that match the seasons. You will learn to cook in a natural environment, calmly manage peak times and work in a small, welcoming kitchen surrounded by greenery. Your duties will include preparing, cleaning up and simple inventory management. A unique opportunity to develop your cooking skills in a meaningful and inspiring environment
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for a motivated and creative culinary student who enjoys working with fresh, seasonal ingredients. You enjoy cooking for groups, have a sense of timing and stay calm during busy times. You are open to learning, can work independently and enjoy being part of a team. You value food quality, hygiene and sustainability. If you love cooking in a meaningful environment, surrounded by nature, and want to contribute to nourishing experiences for others-then this is the place for you.
Important that you can speak English well.
What do we offer?
We offer a unique internship where food, nature and community come together. You will gain hands-on experience in a regenerative kitchen, using ingredients harvested right on your doorstep. You’ll cook for real events and retreats, supported by a caring team. We offer personal guidance, space to develop your own cooking style and the chance to experiment with seasonal, (mostly) plant-based meals. You will become part of a warm community, enjoy communal lunches and work in a peaceful, inspiring environment that nourishes both body and mind.
Who we are.
Yugen Forest – Where nature, regeneration and well-being come together.
Yugen Forest is a regenerative nature and retreat center on Roggebotstaete Estate in Dronten. We are a vibrant, inclusive community working together for nature restoration as well as human growth. Instead of profit as a driver, we choose well-being, connection and responsibility for future generations.
We manage and restore the landscape with food forests, permaculture gardens, herb-rich meadows and natural waterways. At the same time, we are a place of peace and inspiration, where people can come to themselves during retreats, ceremonies and silence walks.
We also host inspiring events such as forest dinners, open days, workshops and community job days. Our kitchen processes harvest from our own garden into delicious produce and meals for guests, volunteers and participants.
Yugen Forest is more than a place – it is a way of life where you may slow down, contribute and feel reconnected to the earth. Our community consists of volunteers, students, artists, farmers, people in transition, reintegration programs, social workshops and nature lovers. Everyone contributes in their own way: in the garden, the kitchen, organizing retreats or behind the scenes at events.
What typifies us:
- We believe that regeneration begins with collaboration.
- We deliberately choose a steward-owned structure, with revenues flowing back into nature and mission.
- We combine ecological nature management with guest experience, community building and meaning making.
- We create a learning environment where there is room for mistakes, reflection and growth – both environmentally and personally.
At Yugen Forest, trainees find a unique learning place full of meaning. A place where trees, people and ideas take root.
