Tuinderij Boender

Who's behind it

Mart Boender grew up in his parents' market garden in the Hoeksche Waard and started with lettuce in 2014. His wife Janske joined the business in 2019. The family has been gardening for generations in the region. The market garden is on Oudendijk in Piershil, on the heavy clay soil of the polder. Everything grows in open ground. Boender grows, among others, Lollo Bionda, Lollo Rossa, red oak leaf lettuce, Salanova and romaine lettuce. Besides lettuce, vegetables and flowers have been part of the family in the polder for generations. The farm is PlanetProof and GLOBALG.A.P. certified. Since 2022, increasingly more is going to catering and wholesale, often on mixed pallets.

Open ground on clay

In open ground the lettuce follows the season. The plant stays in the ground longer and grows on clay. That gives firm leaf with plenty of flavour that stays crisp in the kitchen. Boender harvests in the morning and delivers the next day, so you get lettuce straight from the field. It keeps longer in the cold room and more of it is left after cleaning. A weeding machine arrived in 2019 and a harvester in 2024. That keeps quality consistent, even when you order large numbers of heads. Solar panels on the roof and reuse of surface water are part of the operation.

In your kitchen

Put the origin on your menu: open-ground lettuce from the Hoeksche Waard. Lollo Bionda gives volume and structure, Lollo Rossa brings colour and a light bitter note, red oak leaf works as a soft leaf garnish under fish or meat. Romaine has firm ribs and can go straight on the grill. Salanova is your quick base for a salad during service. Lollo Bionda is available at Jimmy Loves Food per piece and per crate of six, so you can buy in volume. Discuss your weekly planning with the grower: they think along on varieties and volumes and deliver mixed on one pallet.