Please come and tell me about Abel and Cole.

[belledechocchipcookie]

Many thanks. I used to have organic veg delivered but for some reason the deliveries stopped so I'm looking for someone else. Are they reliable/food fresh/wide variety?

we used them for a while (where i nannied)

we found we always had millions of onions, and then would only get say 2 carrots.

The food was always fresh and of good quality. I had charges who really were good eaters, and ate most veg, yet they often managed to provide stuff they just did not like (like loads of cabbage and kale) so i think in the end we switched.

also the grapes were always seeded, which is just annoying when you are trying to give them to very young children and need to cut in half and remove pips 1st!!!

Thank you. Does the veg go bad quite quickly? I tried an organic bag from Ocado and the carrots/parsnips went soft and wrinkly after a couple of days, even in the fridge they went a little black.

I didn't like them much- had deliveries for two years and then they seemed to sort of change into a sort of lifestyle brand- eg always sending brochures, sticking ones from other companies in the box, trying to flog you unrelated stuff etc

I got fed up, and switched to Riverford, who seem a bit more earthy, iyswim

...otoh, good thing about A&C is you can pick and choose- you can have a list of things you don't like. Because RF have a limited number of farms, you get what you're given!- I do find RF better quality, though. Have never had yellow brocolli from them, tho have from A&C...

I use riverford. The veg are usually very fresh and last ages. Although you have to takethe boxes as they come there are different types of box so if there is something you don't like you can usually avoid it.

Ahh, I may try riverford next I didn't think they delivered here but have just checked. Thank you.

actually now you come to mention it stuff did get soft faster than others.

another family i worked for used riverford, and i thought they were much better tbh

Hmm. I have time to cancel. Thank you

We've been using Abel and Cole for quite a few years now. Only veg - kids are fussy fruit eaters. I like the ability to pick and choose. So far happy with them. But we do take veg-box-holidays now and then so I can buy imported Chinese veg when the cravings get too much.

ds is a picky eater and they appear to offer more of a choice then Riverford. Hmm. I'll test them out. Anything that lasts longer then a couple of days is better then Ocado.

I quite like the way you can't choose what comes in Riverford's boxes. I get things that I wouldn't pick out in the shops and so I'm forced to cook more creatively, try out new recipes etc.

I have a non-adventurous child He's just missed out on sweet and sour chicken with brown rice.

I don't like brown rice either.

We generally just eat whatever we get, but I just do not wish to have to cope with jerusalem artichoke ... Cabbages I can deal with, but jerusalem artichoke! Argghhh.

I like it too, greenlegs

I like throwing jerusalem artichokes in the bin experimenting with new textures and flavours

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I have a huge list of things he won't eat. Most of them are vegetables but he will eat a few peas and a little cucumber. He used to eat everything when he was a baby, then he started nursery and it all went wrong

What do you do with fennel?

I had a Riverford box for years; I stopped because for a while it seemed like I was the only veg eater in the house, but I'm thinking of starting again.

I also like the fact that you get what you are given so end up trying new creative recipes. I became quite fond of jerusalem fartichokes (nice in a soup).

Abel and Cole is terrible. I occasionally order from them but only if I've missed my Riverford deadline (it's the next day for me). Basically you open the box and watch potatoes, oranges, onions and other supposedly tough produce rot before your eyes. I have no idea what they do to it. Maybe it's stored in a warehouse made of bananas before they send it out.

Riverford however are excellent. The boxes are far better value than A&C (I worked out a few of my A&C boxes compared to the loose price and there's no saving most weeks!) and the loose produce is mostly cheaper. And it actually lasts! The only "problem" I have is that Riverford hardly ever do seedless grapes!

I do think Abel and Cole have good grocery products, though. I get the Mr Organic stuff from them, and some other things - they're actually cheaper than supermarkets on these. :)

Bugger. I can cancel. Ocado organic bags are like that rina, you open them one day, the next half have gone soft, wrinkly and have black spots on them.

Why don't you just try both? (Not at the same time, obviously.)

I got DH A&C beers for Christmas. That went down quite well.

I could give them a chance (easily persuaded). I can always cancel.

Rod and Bens boxes are really good, worth a try?

I'm in the East Midlands which isn't quite the back of beyond, it just feels like it. I'll have a look to see if they deliver so I can test them

DH insists on getting A&C boxes as some sort of healthy totem and then expects me to cook vast quantities of beetroot before they rot.

We got Jerusalem artichokes last week, I ate them before I remembered that they react very badly with me.

[parp]

Also the driver never collects the sodding boxes, I had to chase after him last week to make sure he took them all as we were having trouble getting out of the front door.

I will investigate Riverford.

I don't want to have a cook off every time the food's delivered, I need a few days. I don't mind a few days grace, 1 or 2 is pushing it a little though.

I waste too much when using Ocado, I'm trying to cut down on the amount I buy. Less choice =less waste.