As a chef, Michel Meijboom worked for years with HACCP checklists, temperature logs and daily food safety inspections. He kept seeing the same tension: records are essential, but in a busy kitchen the focus should be on preparing good, safe food.
“I am a chef and entrepreneur, but I also love learning and creating things. The fact that this app grew out of a workplace problem and is now reaching more and more people makes this journey special to me.”
An idea born in the kitchen
Michel knows hospitality from many perspectives. He owned and ran Restaurant Mimosa in Delft as chef, and founded MyChef, with concepts including MyChef bij je thuis, MyChef Cooking Together and MyChef Toko2Go. He also worked as chef at Beachclub Down Under, Restaurant Parkoers and Sportcomplex De Uithof, and as restaurant manager at Hotel Sofitel.
During those years he saw how food safety was often documented on paper checklists and separate forms. Not because kitchen teams failed to appreciate its importance, but because existing procedures did not always match the pace and reality of a professional kitchen.
“I have worked with those lists often enough myself. You start asking: could this be simpler without compromising food safety? I did not start out wanting to sell an app. I mainly wanted to solve a practical problem.”
Chef, entrepreneur and developer
The move from kitchens to technology was not entirely unexpected. Michel studied Marketing at the Hotelschool The Hague and later trained in app development. He also gained management experience at organisations such as Sodexo, Ziggo, Experian and ChemPros, working on strategy, growth and positioning.
That combination of hospitality, entrepreneurship, marketing and technology enabled him to turn the problem into a digital solution. MyChef FoodSafety® grew step by step out of situations Michel knew from the kitchen.
Technology as a tool, not an end in itself
The app helps kitchen teams with cleaning records, temperature checks and documenting and following up deviations. Sensors can automatically record fridge and freezer temperatures, and the app can support digital best-before date labelling. For Meijboom, technology is primarily a way to give staff clarity and oversight.
“Ultimately, food safety is not about ticking a box. It is about guests being able to trust that what we serve from the kitchen is safe. Technology should help, not create more work.”
About Michel Meijboom
Michel Meijboom is a chef, entrepreneur, marketing professional and app developer. Drawing on his experience in hospitality, foodservice, management and digital development, he focuses on practical solutions for businesses and professionals.
About MyChef FoodSafety®
MyChef FoodSafety® is a Dutch digital food safety app developed from the everyday reality of professional kitchens.