More than 3000 years ago, matzes were first made during the Exodus when the Jews were leaving Egypt. During their flight, there was no time to bake bread. The quickly baked, unleavened matzes were therefore a perfect solution. And Hollandia Matzes has stayed true to this ancient recipe.

In 1933, with the assistance of the Marcus family from Burg Steinfurt, the Woudstra family established Bakkerij Hollandia Matzes at Nieuwstraat 12 in Enschede. Through hard work and dedication, the company quickly grew into a well-known Matze bakery in Western Europe.

Now, after 90 years, the bakery is still located at the Nieuwstraat, a testament to its enduring presence and legacy.

During the post-World War II reconstruction period, many products were scarce. Dutch people turned to Matzes in large numbers because they were not rationed. Hollandia Matzes experienced a tremendous surge in popularity among all Dutch citizens.

The unique orange hexagonal box became widely recognized and has since become an icon in the supermarkets

Since 1962, primary schools in Twente have been able to collect free matzes for their annual Easter breakfast. This means that most children in Twente (around 35,000 per year) have grown up with this tradition.

Since 2010, this initiative has been expanded to include primary schools in the North Veluwe region. Our partner, Theha Kokosbrood, organizes this from Harderwijk.

After three generations of the Woudstra family, Hollandia Matzes was acquired by Pieter Heijs and his business partner in 2004. With their entrepreneurial spirit and vision, they further developed Hollandia Matzes. The low-calorie cracker became increasingly popular for breakfast, lunch, or brunch.

With the addition of Steven Heijs, Hollandia Matzes once again became a proud family business. Hollandia Matzes remains loyal to its original recipe but has ambitions to innovate and grow in the coming years.