The Royal Palace Dream Team

WE ‘the people’ commemorate & celebrate July 1st 1863/1873.

Today considered a delicacy, Heri Heri is a meal known as a prevalent dish cooked by many of our enslaved ancestors on plantations around the world during the transatlantic slave trade.

In remembrance of our ancestors and in commemoration of the abolishment of slavery by the Dutch Kingdom, we created Free Heri Heri to bring awareness to this historic day, the history and the effects of it still being felt today.

Launched on July 1st in 2020 we now serve the whole nation, every July 1st, a Heri Heri for free!

Free Heri Heri is produced by KIP REPUBLIC

“For us FREE HERI HERI is about making connections and mobilising communities to bring national awareness to the commemoration of July 1st 1863. It's a movement for the people by the people”.

— KIP REPUBLIC

Heri Heri with Chef Nikita Tjon-Affo

Every year one of our Free Heri Heri Chefs shares their version of Heri Heri. This year we highlight the Heri heri of Chef Nikita Tjon-Affo. Nikita’s Heri Heri is an ode to the keti koti celebrations he experienced as a child in Suriname. Visiting the Waterfront (Waterkant) with his gran “Oma” in Paramaribo. Nothing out of the ordinary, simple yet very special.

You Eat You Learn

Education around the subject matters. Today there are still many in our society who are not aware or familiar with certain parts of the Dutch Colonial History, not aware of this commemoration day and furthermore the effects this history has on our society today. With the Free Heri Heri Booklet (Waldemar Publishing) handed out with each meal, we give each person the chance to learn about the meal, the historical context and the meaning and importance of this commemoration. You eat you learn!

We had the vision, they helped us create it!