Maker · Vegetables
Gebroeders Jansen: Leek with craftsmanship through all seasons
One crop, year-round. At Gebroeders Jansen in Etten-Leur, everything revolves around leek, from the thin summer shaft to the sweet winter leek after frost.
The story
Who's behind it
Gebroeders Jansen B.V. is a family grower in Etten-Leur, in western Brabant. Leek is not a side business here but the entire operation. On the fields around the village, the crop is planted at different times, so harvest can happen nearly year-round. The name isn't new to the area: cultivation has passed through multiple generations, with the knowledge of soil, variety, and timing that comes with that.
The leek is machine-pulled in the field with an automatic leek lifter and then cleaned before going in the crate. Jimmy Loves Food buys the leek both loose per kilo and per crate of 10 kilos, so you decide how many shafts you put on the griddle and how much green you hold back for oil and stock.
What really makes it different
The difference is in the rhythm of the seasons. Summer leek has a thinner, fresher shaft that works well in quickly braised dishes. Winter leek is sturdier and becomes noticeably sweeter after the first hard frost, exactly when you want something warm and hearty on the menu. Because one grower delivers both, you keep the same origin and the same hand on the product all year.
You get whole, uncut stalks. That sounds obvious, but it gives you on the line the control that pre-cut leek takes away: you cut the ring thickness that fits your dish, you keep the white and green separate, and you don't lose freshness to a cut face that's been open for days. There's little time between field and kitchen, and you taste it in the crispness of the white.
How you set yourself apart with this
Leek is cheap to buy and expensive to serve right. Turn the dark green into a leek oil or leek emulsion and you have a garnish with character that costs nearly nothing. Grill thick winter leek until it's black outside and silky inside, and put it on the plate as a vegetable with a lead role instead of as a side. On the menu, origin works: by naming the grower and Etten-Leur, you tell in one line that this leek comes from close by and not from a wholesale dealer around the corner. Order whole, cut yourself, and let the season determine whether you go for the fresh summer shaft or the sweet winter leek.
Chef’s tip
Never throw away the dark green. Confit it slowly in mild oil and you have a leek oil to drizzle over pan-fried fish. Blanch the white briefly and then grill it dry: smoke and sweetness without the shaft becoming watery. Winter leek after the first frost is thicker and sweeter, ideal for laying whole pieces on the griddle.
How to use it
Ideas for your menu
Grilled winter leek with beurre blanc and roasted hazelnut
Poireaux vinaigrette: cold poached leek, mustard vinaigrette, egg
Pan-fried cod with leek emulsion and leek oil from the dark green
Summer leek braised briefly into risotto or savory tart
For your menu
“Leek from Gebroeders Jansen in Etten-Leur, cultivated year-round and hand cleaned.”
Products from Gebroeders Jansen
What we carry from this maker
Leek pan-ready, fine or coarse cut
Pre-cut in the JLF kitchen if you want to save time
Prices and availability are in the portal. Not a customer yet? Become a customer or log in to order.
Taste it in your own kitchen
Book a no-obligation tasting with Niels. No contract, just tasting.