Kamphuisen Siroopwafelfabriek

Who they are

Kamphuisen is the oldest siroopwafel brand in Gouda, the city where these thin waffles filled with caramel syrup were born. Its recipe dates back to 1810 and, according to the company, has been kept ever since in a sealed envelope. The story has passed through several hands: in 1969 the pastry chef Verweij bought the original factory and the recipe patent and took the bakers to his patisserie at Markt 69; in 1995 the Gouda pastry chef Jan Anker bought the patent and the oven, and developed an automatic oven in his workshop in Waddinxveen. Today it is Jan Anker and his sons who welcome visitors to the factory, open to the public since 2018. The waffles are baked five days a week.

The visit

The Siroopwafelfabriek is at Markt 69, right on the main square of Gouda's historic centre. The visit lasts about 45 minutes and has two parts: a first, digital, on the history of the siroopwafel, and a tour of the factory to see how they are made. You can help knead with a wheel, taste several syrups and, at the end, eat a freshly made waffle. As the factory has HACCP health certification, you must wear a hairnet.

Visits are offered in Dutch, English, German, French and Spanish. The factory is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00, with the last visit at 16:00; it is closed on Sundays and, among public holidays, only at Christmas and New Year.

Tickets and bookings

You must book a time slot, on their website or in the shop. Basic entry costs €11.50, €15.50 with coffee, and there is a family ticket (€42) and combined tickets with other Gouda visits. For groups of 15 or more write to [email protected] or call +31 182 639 987; the premises admit up to 90 people an hour. The practical information page does not include cancellation conditions; they are in its general terms.

Accessibility, children and shop

The building is historic: it is accessible with a manual wheelchair, but does not suit electric ones, and there is no adapted toilet, although there is one with a wide door and no step. Baby pushchairs are left in the cloakroom and the staff take them to the café area. The visit is participatory and the website sets no age limit.

The shop sells the waffles wrapped in film so that they stay crisp: packs of ten, gift boxes and tubes of fifteen, at prices of roughly €5 to €12, and they can also be ordered online.

Getting there

The factory is about ten minutes' walk from Gouda railway station. If you go by car, there are several car parks at the entrances to the city, five minutes from the centre. The factory's own combined tickets let you link the visit with other attractions in the city, such as the cheese one.