Buysman Kruiden

Who's behind it

Buysman Kruiden is based in Andijk, at Kadijkweg in North Holland. The family has been growing for nearly a century. It started with Piet Buysman, who grew vegetables in Lutjebroek. The second generation focused on cauliflower, the third took over around 1973, and in 1983 the business relocated to Andijk. In 1985 an early trial with chives went so well that herbs became the main focus. Since 1997 it's operated under the name Buysman Kruiden. Now the fourth generation is at the helm. The farm supplies basil, chives, parsley, coriander and several mint varieties, all in pots.

Why these herbs

Buysman delivers the herbs alive in pots, with roots intact. They last for days on the pass. You cut what you need per portion and the rest keeps growing. Most of the work on the farm is done by hand.

They grow on an airy, nutrient-rich loamy soil the farm developed itself. Against pests Buysman uses insects. They've been growing chives vertically for thirty years, well before anyone called it vertical farming. The farm is now running trials with a new generation of LEDs and pot-free growing, aimed at flavour and shelf life.

In your kitchen

With a pot on the workstation you cut at the last moment, per dish. Your herbs stay firm through the whole service and you throw less away.

On the menu, name the origin: Andijk, fourth generation, grown by hand. Put the herbs up front in dishes where freshness counts, such as a dessert with mint, a ceviche with coriander or a simple egg with chives cut above the plate.