Yes, it's been done before, possibly even by me, but what the heck - FRUIT/VEG BOX DELIVERIES

[hunkermunker]

Anyone have one?

I mean, I know you do.

So tell me about it.

Which company delivers it?

Which are box-friendly fruits/veggies?

Which are less good?

Anything to avoid utterly?

And is there a meat/cheese/eggs/milk option as well?

Do you feel it offers value for money and do you eat things you wouldn't normally buy now, because you have to, because it's In Your Kitchen?

TIA

Yes, I agree it makes sense to have something just grown than something that has been ripened artificially or grown in odd conditions.
In the winter we have lots of casseroles so all the root stuff gets whacked in there and in the summer lots of simple dishes and bbq type food with the veg on the side.

Oh a lot of the stuff in my box can't be from right here, but some of it is and we will still eat the citrus from abroad so I would rather buy it from my local farmer and keep him going....
It is trying to do the best you can in the circumstances I suppose....

I just looked for one that delivered near me, riverford looked good then I realised it was coming from Devon, I'm in Oxford

Riverford have sister companies , Rivernene and another one that may cover your area.
I've found them pretty good.

Thank you more - interesting stuff to look at later!

Franny, I've emailed you, you lovely thing.

we miss you

I thought that the riverford one would've put me with the rivernene scheme because it's peterborough, much closer than devon, but ti says my 'local' one is riverford.

can't tell where Oxford is on that map but Riverford use local farms across the country as well as Devon. Give them a call and ask as they are really friendly.
I found Abel and Cole very very expensive, lots of packaging and not as good quality as Riverford.
I also use Somerset Foods Direct but thats not near you at all.

you know what...that would suit me perfectly! I don't drive and find i run out of all the fresh stuff too quickly. a middle of the week delivery would be brill!

Personally I dont get anything that will just put more cars on the road simply to delivery ONE product to a handful of people spread over a large area. Imagine if you have ONE van for each type of food:

Fruit and veg
Milk & Dairy
Bakery
Soaps & Detergents
Meat
Fish
Household goods

I think the nice man/woman from Tesco/Sainsbury/Asda/Ocadois a much more environmentally friendly option. But I guess thats me. Organic delivery vs carbon footprint tough choice

Lullabyloo - hello!

I was extra good last week and had Lots Of F&V - my hair is shiny, I have lost weight, etc. Marvellous! I will drop by the thread and ask irritating questions about smoothies

Quint, if you buy local, though, you're cutting out the vans that take the stuff from farm-Tesco dist centre - local tesco and only then onto you - and the distances there can be massive, so I think the local deliveries probably win on miles.

yes do
it is quite filthy at the moment tho

I used to use two, this one Organic Delivery Co and Abel & Cole. I'd get fortnightly deliveries, so that each week I'd get a delivery from one or the other.
I liked that at Abel & Cole you could swap around some of the ingredients if you didn't like them, but of course you pay more for that. Also with A&C you get a newsletter telling you what you have got, info about the farmers and giving you recipes and suggestions. I had to stop eventually as I was out when they delivered and my neighbours would help themselves.
The Organic Delivery Co worked out cheaper and delivered to my area of an evening.

I used to use Farmaround, though it was a year or two ago now. I chucked them because
(a) They were expensive but not good value in my opinion.
(b) They made minimal effort to keep things seasonal. They did include some seasonal things of course.
(c) Nothing was fairtrade.
(d) It got too samey. Same old boring things time and time again.

Quintessential I can order veg, fruit, meat, dairy, bread and some store cupboard stuff all from my local farm shop, for delivery.

It's not just the local delivery round, but how far the product has travelled / where it was produced etc

Also knowing that my farm shop pays the local apple grower 40% more for his apples than Tesco do, yet I pay the same price, makes me feel that it is the better choice.

QS buying local absolutely saves vans on the road and carbon footprint. The supermarket distribution chain is insane.

Littlerach lots of fruit coming from abroad, yes. But most is shipped, not flown - well, depending on which scheme you use. It's a good idea to check. However it is possible to get a lot of produce that is grown in the UK and grown locally. I don't mind oranges from Spain, but I do mind leeks from Devon, when they grow them up the road from me.

hunker am on the case

Talking of carbon footprints and back to basics and organic food etc, go watch wifeswap people.

LadyVS, Trevor and Helen are lovely people and run the Oxford Franchise of Riverford, call them! If I remember correctly in 2008 they aim to get most of the box items from Oxfordhire and 25 miles outside radius

Also if there is something you dont like they will take it back and refund you. Used to be able to swap but that didnt meet the SA standards

Thank you very much, Franny - am wading through box after box now Found some lovely recipes on one site - here which might help with the wtf do I do with chard problem

I fancied that woodfield organics one the best as well, dunno why

they just looked small and folksy