Dairy Flat might be a long way from the Netherlands, but for Kees van der Eijk, cofounder of Forestburg Eggplant, the path from European greenhouse precision to New Zealand innovation has been driven through hands-on effort and a willingness to adapt.

“Honestly, I was almost born in a glasshouse,” Kees laughs. “My parents grew roses in the Netherlands. I started working weekends and school holidays when I was 12, and kept doing it for 15 years.”

Those early years shaped his horticultural outlook, influencing his interest in technology, being hands-on, and a mindset of continuous improvement. When Kees moved to New Zealand and co-founded Forestburg with his brother and a business partner in the early 2000s, they initially grew capsicums. But in 2006, a virus wiped out part of their crop, triggering a pivot that would ultimately transform New Zealand’s eggplant industry.

Back then, eggplants were a niche crop. Only a handful of small-scale growers existed, and most supermarkets had inconsistent supply. Prices were high and availability unreliable.

“We saw a gap,” says Kees. “But to be honest, we didn’t know much about eggplants at the start, so we grew the same varieties everyone else was using. The trouble was, they were big, 500 to 600 grams. It looked impressive, but wasn’t practical and was out of step with other parts of the world.”

It didn’t take long for Forestburg to realise that what worked in theory didn’t work in practice. Large fruit slowed production and didn’t suit consumers.

“The thing is, once you cut an eggplant, you need to use it straight away. No one wants to waste half of a 600-gram eggplant,” Kees explains. “That’s when we started to shift towards 350 to 400 grams. More usable, with less waste.”

The change wasn’t immediate. It took trialling new varieties and educating buyers, but over time, Forestburg helped move the market toward what is now the norm.

“It probably took a decade,” says Kees. “But now, that smaller fruit size is the standard.”

Today, Forestburg is the largest producer of eggplants in New Zealand, responsible for approximately 80 percent of the national production. The business operates year-round from a 43,000 square metre glasshouse, with around 25 staff during peak season.

“It’s all about growing smarter,” Kees says. “We run different varieties for winter and summer, including northern hemisphere types when the light is low, and southern hemisphere ones when the conditions heat up. You can’t just copy Europe. You’ve got to adapt to local conditions.”

That mindset extends across the business. Recent investments have included new irrigation units, water filtration systems, and introducing automation.

“We’re slowly replacing older kit. It’s about preparing for the next ten years,” says Kees. “You’ve got to keep upgrading to keep your people and your plants happy.”

But Forestburg’s influence extends beyond the glasshouse. By producing enough volume to guarantee consistent supermarket supply, they’ve helped make eggplants a regular feature in Kiwi kitchens.

“When you’re always on the shelf, people start to get familiar with it,” Kees says. “Suddenly you see eggplants on cooking shows and in recipes and it’s now become normal. That wouldn’t happen if people couldn’t find them.”

Kees says there’s still plenty of consumer education to be done.

“Most people don’t know you should never store eggplants in the fridge. Cold temperatures actually damage them.”

Some employees at Forestburg, many of whom come from overseas, have also brought new perspectives on how eggplants are used.

“Some of them dry the fruit, which is quite cool. There’s a lot more to explore.”

Since the beginning, Forestburg has worked closely with the MG Group.

“We’ve had a great partnership with MG and Mark Middleton in particular,” says Kees. “It’s one of those relationships where you know you’re aligned. We grow it, they get it sold.”

That partnership has allowed Kees and his team to focus on what they do best, which is growing, refining, and adapting.

“We’re always trialling new varieties,” he says. “Not everything works. But the only way to learn is to give it a go. If you try something and it doesn’t work, that’s fine, you just don’t do it again. But you’ve got to try.”

Looking at their journey so far, there’s still plenty more to come from Forestburg Eggplants..

Photo top: Auckland Branch Manager Dominic Gargiulo, Kees van der Eijk and MG Sales Rep Mark Middleton
Photo body: Kees and Victoria van der Eijk