Anyone know an organic meatbox scheme reasonably local for South Essex ?

[whatdayisit]

I'm really trying to do the right thing with my shopping.

I get organic dairy from the milkman, buy bread from the local bakers (only shop within 30 mins walk, except large supermarket)& get a veg box delivered weekly.

At the moment everything else comes from Tesco, on-line, once a month. I'd really like to try and source meat and poultry from a local producer and I like the veg box, so I thought I'd give one of the box schemes a go, but having searched extensively, I can only find companies in Wales, Devon/Cornwall or the far north of England/Scotland. As we're in the South East, it would be hard to get further away.

We do have a farmer's market 6 miles away twice a month, but apart from fruit and veg & dairy, which I don't need, produce seems to be restricted to incredibly expensive handmade pastries and bacon/sausages. Seems daft to drive 12 miles for a few rashers of bacon.

Any ideas anyone?

ashlyns farm in ongar? i remember when they used to be a battery chicken farm, market forces eh. oh have just looked, they don't even seem to do veg boxes anymore.

haven't you got a local butcher?

Depends what you call local - there's one in the nearest "posh" town, but it's very very expensive and a 20 min drive away.

i should think that posting meat is expensive and difficult. better to get it somewhere local and ethical if you can. no farm shops? farmers markets would be a good place to look, chelmsford?

See this is where I find it really hard to do the "right" thing.

Is travelling to Chelmsford(about 20 miles) more ethical than using Tesco?

I've searched and searched. There is a "farm shop" about 6 miles away, but I'm not sure what that means. This one seems to sell fruit nearing the end of it's useful life, but it sure ain't local. They have pineapples!

The only farmer's market less than 30 mins away doesn't have meat, apart from sausages and bacon. I think you need to live in a "select" area to benefit from these facilities. We all eat nothing but pies round here.

Some of the meat box schemes seem quite reasonable. A month's organic meat for a family of 4, less than £100, but that's in Devon, although they will deliver to me free.

if you are serious re monthly then farmers market is perfect for you and you could order stuff in advance.

Agree that a lot of farmers markets don't seem to actually sell meat - just sausages, pies, and around here - black pudding!

We are lucky, our local butcher 'grows his own' so we get lamb pork and beef reared 2 miles away and his wife makes the sausages and cured ham. Cheaper than Sainsburys too and twice as nice.

If I were you I'd try the box from Devon (what do you get for £100 btw? Is it a months supply for a real carnivorous family )
If he delivers for free then chances are he already delivers in your area, therefore minimal transport to divert to your house.