Fruit and veg boxes?!

[JennyPenny22]

I want to start getting a fruit and veg box delivered. We have our milk delivered already by the milkman so there then wouldn't be much for me to buy myself and we can stock up and freeze the meat etc.

Anyway, if you have one, could you please tell me:

• What company you use
• What size box
• How often you get it
• If you think it is good value for money for a family on a budget (but desperatly trying to eat healthy!)
• Do you have to be at home when they deliver? Or do they leave it outside?
• Would you recomend it?

Thank you!

I use riverford
Small box to feed 2 adults and one toddler
weekly
It is great, perfectly comprable to the shops. I could do the weekly veg shop for less money but I would have less variety as the veg box will include stuff like asparagus in season which would cost a fortune at the supermarket.
Don't have to be at home so long as you make arrangements. If I'm out I leave the box to be reused and a tub with a cheque in outside the door. When we used to live in a house right on the street I gave him the code to the padlock for the back gate and he left in in the yard.
I'd do it. I thnk it makes us all try new things, eat more of a variety of veg instead of just putting broc, carrots, peppers and onions in your basket each week and it helps you menu plan as you can do the menu for the week on box day depending on what is in it.

Have been thinking about this too.

Indith - I am looking at riverford. The only thing that I am not sure about is that it doesn't seem to contain potatoes every week and I think we need them really? Where as others I have looked at always have potatoes. I am not ruling it out though as it seems better in other ways!

Oh and just to check - there is no commitment to it is there? Ie, I can cancel at any time?

Mine has potatoes each week. It depends on the box you choose.

And yes you can cancel any time. I love the ordering system actually as you can do it all online. You have your regular order that comes up when you log in and you can cancel the week that you are going away, step down to a smaller box for a week if you have a veg overload or dh is working away etc well in advance to a couple of days before delivery but it will still remember your regular order without you haivng ot put it back in.

Riverford are really good. You can go for the box and/or made a custom order, so you can add potatoes if you really want.

You can make ad hoc orders so you're not tied in at all.

Hi Jenny

I get a Riverford Fruit and Veg Box, I think its about £15 i get it every 2 weeks.

Mine gets left outside and i really like it i get a good selection of Fruit and Veg. You can cancel anytime you want and you can easily add things (like Potatoes) to your orders online.

I use Red Earth Organics.
I have a Large veg box delivered weekly which costs £12.50 (we're a family of 5)
When I first started ordering from them we agreed a place where the veg should be left if I'm not in (do be aware that things like lettuce can wilt if left out in the sun too long so pick somewhere cool/shady - I didn't to start with)
I think it does represent value for money. It's always got the basics in - potatoes, carrots, onions, salad and lots of different veg. We use everything - never throw anything away - and the quality has meant that we havn't had to.

The service is absolutely brilliant! They are happy to leave something out of the boxes if your family don't like it or if you've grown some of your own, they always deliver at the same time on the same day and have never let me down (even during the snow in winter!) They have no problem with you missing a week or two if you are on holiday. On the one occasion they forgot to put my eggs in my box (I order them in addition to the veg box) they brought them out to me within 15mins of my call!

So yes - I'm a veg box fan!!

ginger - that sounds lovely! shame they are only a local one!

Do any of the other companies let you tell them bits that you DONT want? Would be a waste to get bits we don't like

• What company you use

Abel & Cole

• What size box

Small mixed organic one

• How often you get it

every other week

• If you think it is good value for money for a family on a budget (but desperatly trying to eat healthy!)

Our is only £10.45 which for the amount you get seems good value to me!

• Do you have to be at home when they deliver? Or do they leave it outside?

Leave it outside - hidden

• Would you recomend it?

Yes - get all sorts of things I wouldn't normally try. Especially good at the mo - but in the winter there is obviously less variety of stuff. Always get potatoes. And at the mo - the fruit is mainly apples and oranges - but I did get bananas this week.

I look at these every 6 months or so. So far it has ALWAYS been cheaper to buy organic veg from Tesco and at least that way I can guarantee getting stuff we like and will use.

Occasionally we get SIL's River Nene veg boxes when they are on holiday cause it's less stress than cancelling for 1 or 2 weeks and it always looks dreary and goes off super fast. Either that or it's just weird stuff we don't use. And no-one needs that many onions!!!

We use Northern Harvest (North West based)
We usually get the £10 Fruit & Veg box along with other items (organic meat, eggs)
We get it once a month
Yes, it's good value for money
They leave it outside as they come about 6am and are like delivery ninjas. We have never heard them
I would recommend it
You can order as often as you like with Northern Harvest - there's no obligation to have a box on a set regular basis

I think I am going to order as a one off to start with, and maybe try a few companies to see who I prefer. Or is that just making life harder for myself?

Not at all - I think it's a good idea to try before you commit yourself. I tried a couple of the UK wide veg box companies before I tried Red Earth. I think most companies will let you have a 'one off' order before you commit to a regular delivery........
Have a go!!

If it helps in your decision, Riverford have been voted Organic Retailer of the Year and this week were named Best Ethical Business 2009 by the Observer.

You don't have to sign up for a regular order and you can make up your own box from their list. We've found that it's always better value to go for one of their core boxes.

They'll send you an email on Friday to tell you what's in the following week's boxes, so if there's lots that you don't like you can swap. Go for it, you'll enjoy it and it's great not being a sheep in a supermarket!

Oh I didn't realise they sent you an email before hand! That is VERY handy! Is it easy to swap? Do you just swap indervidual items or the whole box?

So do you get potatoes every week in the mixed fruit and veg box? Or would I have to add that on? We eat pots most days in some form. I do slimming world so don't use any frozen chips/potatoes or anything like that so we go through quite a few fresh ones.

We find it easy to change boxes, the website's very easy to use. If you have problems you can ring the local Riverford distributor who's always helpful. You can't swap individual items, but to be honest that's not a problem. It's fun to try new things and make the most of what you get.

They do 4 box sizes that always have potatoes, carrots and onions in. They other boxes are potato free, including a seasons box (what we have) which is ultra-seasonal and good value. If we need extra spuds they do different size bags up to 5kg, at the mo they're very lovely new potatoes. We also add on pasta (the best we've ever tried), milk (freezable) and cheese.