Maker · Andijk, North Holland · Herbs
Buysman Kruiden
Herbs that are still alive when they arrive at your door. Buysman from Andijk delivers basil, chives, mint and more in pots, with roots intact. You cut per portion and the rest continues to grow on the pass.
The story
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 was so successful 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.
What makes it different
The difference lies in two things: the herbs stay alive, and most of the work is done by hand. Buysman delivers in pots, with roots intact, rather than cut and packaged. For you this means herbs that last days on the pass instead of hours. You cut what you need per portion and the rest keeps growing. Less waste, more aroma on the plate.
The growing happens on their own airy, nutrient-rich loamy soil that the farm developed itself. Against pests Buysman uses insects instead of chemical sprays, creating a healthy growing climate. 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 soil-free growing. That's not marketing: it's a business that keeps refining flavour and shelf life.
How to stand out with this
Herbs in pots solve a daily problem: fresh herbs that are limp by mid-service. With a pot on the workstation you cut at the last moment, controlled and per dish. That saves ordering, saves waste and keeps flavour sharp all the way to the plate.
On your menu the provenance is your story. Andijk, fourth generation, hand-grown: that's concrete and verifiable, not an empty promise. Feature the herbs prominently in dishes where freshness makes the difference—a dessert with mint, a ceviche with coriander, or a simple egg with chives cut above the plate. Your guests will taste the difference between herbs cut moments ago and herbs that have been sitting for days. That's exactly where your edge is.
“Vertical farming new? We've been doing it with chives for thirty years.”
Chef’s tip
Store the pot cool, away from direct sunlight, and only cut when you're ready to plate. This keeps freshness for days instead of hours. Chives and mint come through strongest when cut above the plate, not pre-cut: less oxidation, more aroma on the plate.
How to use it
Ideas for your menu
Chives à la minute
Cut above the dish over potato, egg or a creamy sauce. Freshly cut releases more aroma than pre-sliced.
Mint for dessert and tea
Leaf by leaf plucked for a panna cotta, fruit or fresh mint tea at table.
Basil at the end
Add after heat, over pasta, tomato or burrata, so the leaf doesn't darken.
Coriander finished cold
Freshly cut over ceviche, curry or a noodle bowl, where heat would strip the flavour.
For your menu
“Fresh herbs in pots from Buysman, Andijk, fourth-generation family growing, hand-cultivated and harvested live.”
Products from Buysman Kruiden
What we carry from this maker
Chives in pot
The foundation of the business, grown for thirty years. Delivered live, individually or by the box of four.
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Taste it in your own kitchen
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