Chef
Wesley de Leeuw
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Montfoort, Netherlands
i. Biography
Coming Up
At De Schans in Montfoort, Netherlands, the line from sous-chef to chef reads as a kitchen education measured in years, repetition, and proximity to the room’s daily demands. Wesley de Leeuw held the sous-chef post there until 2020, a period that gave him direct contact with the restaurant’s pace and the habits that shape service from the inside. It was work built on repetition rather than display, the kind that sharpens judgment by making consistency non-negotiable. That early service at De Schans gave Wesley de Leeuw a working command of the house before he was responsible for it. The same address later became the place where his own decisions carried more weight, and that continuity matters: technique settled into instinct, and familiarity became a practical advantage. The result was not a reset, but a clearer use of what had already been learned in the room. Since 2020, he has served as chef of De Schans by Mike & Wes in Montfoort, Netherlands. The role kept him rooted in the same place while changing the terms of responsibility, moving him from the back of the line to the point where the kitchen’s direction is set. At the same address where he once worked as sous-chef, Wesley de Leeuw took on leadership with the advantage of having already worked through the restaurant’s rhythm from within.
Where They Are Now
Since 2020, Wesley de Leeuw has led the kitchen at De Schans by Mike & Wes, carrying forward a house he already knew from the inside. The change in title followed a long apprenticeship in the same place, which made the transition legible rather than symbolic. In 2020, he and Mike de Leeuw took over the restaurant from Ries and Lilian Verburgt, ending a 16-year run and marking a clear handover in the room’s history. Wesley de Leeuw came into the role with prior knowledge of the service, the address, and the working standards already in place. His move from sous-chef to chef gave the restaurant continuity across two eras, with the same site holding both the memory of the old arrangement and the shape of the new one.
Profile updated August 2026
FAQ
Asked of Wesley
Where did Wesley de Leeuw work before?
Wesley de Leeuw's earlier career included De Schans.
What recognition has Wesley de Leeuw received?
Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024).
