Van Vugt Herbs

Who's behind it

Van Vugt Herbs is based in Ridderkerk, on Hoogzandweg. It's a family business: Piet van Vugt started it, now his four children and a son-in-law are running things. Not a middleman buying and reselling herbs, but a grower and packer. They cultivate themselves, on open ground and under glass in Ridderkerk and Brielle. In summer, about 90 percent comes from Dutch soil. Around 180 people staff the packing line, plus an office team of twenty. The business runs on 3,400 solar panels and a gas-free, emission-free greenhouse, and in 2026 bought a lot of just over three hectares next to the existing location to expand further from 2027 onward.

What really makes it different

Two things. First, the breadth: 25 fresh herbs year-round, in summer that rises to about 40 types. Plus 20 edible flowers like begonia, violet, geranium, fuchsia and dahlia, and 18 baby leaves and cress like green and red mizuna, tatsoi, landcress and bulls blood. Second, the honesty about origin. What the season allows here, they grow themselves. What doesn't, they source from countries where the climate is better, like Spain, Italy, Morocco and Kenya. They work with fixed growers there who are certified for food safety and labor conditions, and they keep direct contact. International lots come by plane and straight into cold storage, so the aroma stays intact. You know per herb where it comes from and why.

How you set yourself apart with this

Edible flowers and cress are the quickest difference on a plate. A violet or begonia leaf on an amuse, bulls blood through a salad, a sprig of mint or cilantro that actually smells instead of lying limp. Because the assortment is so broad year-round, you can keep a dish on the menu without running out halfway through the season. And because the origin per herb is clear, you can simply tell on the menu or at table where it comes from. Ask what's at peak this week: that's where the flavor is, and often where the sharpest pricing lies.