Just had my first Abel & Cole delivery.

[IslaValargeone]

Disappointed doesn't even begin to describe it. There are a couple of fresh looking products but amongst the selection, the carrots are wrinkled and bendy, apples with more mottled skin than not and my potato selection is one huge baking potato and three new potato sized ones.
Is this normal? My neighbour gave me a code for a free box but after this I'm not inspired to re order.

Riverford are ace. I researched between able & cole and riverford before taking the plunge and riverford's service, quality and quantity of veg is brilliant IMO.

I never find winter veg boxes that good, but that does sound a bit rough. What else was in the box?

A pepper, some clementines, 2 leeks and 2 parsnips.

Wouldn't have said that was normal tbh. Give them a ring.

I regularly have their gorgeous quiches, pies, meatballs, mince, fishpie filling and their chickens are the best I have ever tasted.

I'm a fussy bag and shop at Waitrose too but I find a lot of A&C stuff superior.

The vegetables I would say don't have quite as good a shelf life as some supermarket veg but I always get loads of parsnips, carrots and apples etc. You just have to bear this in mind when planning your shop.

I tried them last year and after several phone calls about the freshness of produce, where they were always helpful and offered replacements, I gave up. The constant complaining was embarrassing.

I use a local company. I was just admiring my veg box before I went out...

I've used them for years and have always been extremely happy with them.

We stopped using them because the quality was so variable, and I hated not knowing what was coming - how are you meant to meal plan with that?

Also, when you look into it huge amounts are foreign grown in order to keep the 'organic' label.

I think something may have gone wrong with your box - sounds like you had the same types of fruit and veg as I did, but have been unlucky both with quality (mine were all lovely) and quantity (eg I had 4 parsnips, 4 leeks, lots of potatoes etc).

Do bear in mind apples etc can look mottled - it doesn't mean they're bad or less tasty. They're just not bred for looks the way the superemarket ones are.

I really like my boxes.

I really like them but mainly I love how helpful and polite they are when I call- so let them know!

Well I can't even say I was impressed by the people who call.
I had my first marketing call before my first box had even arrived and the chap speaking to me eating.
I had to listen to him chewing, right down my ear.

I wasn't impressed with the amount I got in my free box. I think it was a standard amount but it just didn't seem like £13's worth of fruit and veg.

It strikes me as all style over substance.
Leaflets, cutesy mince pies and patronising spiel.
Just give me carrots that are fresh.

I tried A and C boxes for a few weeks but gave up because of quality issues. One load of potatoes, every single one was rotten. I did like their deli stuff and organic liver. Perhaps I'll try Riverford.

I use Riverford and love the quality and taste.

I gave up because of stuff perishing a day or two after the box arrived...if I emailed them they would put replacement items in the next box without complaint, but that wasn't much use. It meant going to the supermarket to get replacements for the first week, and the second week having twice as much of something as I actually needed.