Maker · Dairy
Zwaanheuvelhoeve
Organic poultry from Boven-Leeuwen and Dreumel, with brown and white laying hens under 3-star Better Life. The eggs go out by their own transport and the manure goes to the mushroom farm instead of the dung pit.
The story
Who's behind it
Willem and Corina van Mourik took over the farmhouse at Zwaanheuvelstraat in Boven-Leeuwen on 1 May 2019, together with football friend Ton van Welie. Meanwhile they keep operations at two locations, Boven-Leeuwen and Dreumel in the Land of Maas and Waal, with brown and white organic laying hens. Under the name Ons ei (Our Egg) they focus on one thing: eggs from nearby. The eggs go as much as possible by their own transport to shops, care facilities and restaurants in the area. Short lines keep the time between laying and kitchen short.
The hens have 3-star Better Life, the highest animal welfare standard in the Netherlands, and receive no antibiotics. In 2023 Ons ei came second in the national Organic Product of the Year election at the Biofair. The business is affiliated with Caring Farmers and with Maas en Waal Boert Bewust and has a farm vending machine in Boven-Leeuwen that's open day and night.
What really makes the difference
The distinction lies in the cycle around the business. The chicken manure goes to organic mushroom cultivation, so a waste stream gets a second life within the organic chain. The location in Dreumel operates energy-neutral on solar panels and in Boven-Leeuwen they're working towards the same. The eggs go out in reusable crates and biodegradable boxes.
The hens get more space than organic rules require. The run is full of willows, nut and fruit trees that provide shelter, with room to scratch and dust-bathe. They walk on an organic grain mix of corn, wheat, barley and soya, supplemented with grains scattered by hand daily. That translates to the product: full yolks with colour, white that stays firm and binding you can build on. You notice it in the poaching pan, in an emulsion and in every base that sits on eggs.
How to set yourself apart
An egg is quickly a side note on the card, while in the kitchen it's in everything. Name that you work with organic local eggs from a closed manure cycle, and a dish like egg salad, open-faced egg sandwich or a classic sauce gets a sourcing story most menus miss.
Practically the local delivery works with you: short supply lines, fresh batches and packaging from tray to box of 180 pieces, so you buy to your consumption. Add the name Zwaanheuvelhoeve or Ons ei and a simple plate gains weight, without you doing more than choosing the right egg.
“We believe in eggs from nearby.”
Chef’s tip
Ask about the laying date and work per dish. For a tight poached egg or fresh mayonnaise you want eggs a few days old, the white is then still firm. Eggs that have been lying ten days you peel much easier after cooking. That way you get two applications from the same tray.
How to use it
Ideas for your menu
Poached egg
Fresh white stays compact, no strands in the poaching water.
Homemade mayonnaise and hollandaise
Organic yolks with full colour bind generously and stably.
Crème anglaise and ice bases
Fresh yolks give binding without you having to drive up the quantity.
Soft-boiled on table bread
A simple plate where the quality of the egg determines everything.
For your menu
“Organic eggs from Zwaanheuvelhoeve, Boven-Leeuwen. Brown and white laying hens under 3-star Better Life, from a manure cycle that ends at the mushroom farm.”
Products from Zwaanheuvelhoeve
What we carry from this maker
Organic eggs, tray of 30
Freshly laid from the region, practical kitchen packaging
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