Abel and Cole customers...

[Nbg]

Can I ask a few questions for personal research?

I would like to start buying from them but there's a couple of things that bother me.

1. How often do you order from them?
2. What is it you purchase?
3. Roughly how much do you spend with them a month?
4. How much extra do you spend on other items that you cannot buy from A&C?
5. Is it really worth it?

Sorry to be soo nosey!

I get a weekly box of mixed veg and fruit. I can't remember exactly what it costs but around £15 or so I think. My weekly Ocado bill is around £120 or so. I like it because

(a) it means we always have fresh fruit/veg in the house (it comes on Tuesday and Ocado on Friday)
(b) I like the element of surprise (sad I know but that's how I am) not knowing what's arriving and sometimes having to find new recipes etc
(c) my children get to see fruit/veg that's not perfectly shaped and plastic wrapped and realise that it doesn't all grow that way

Don't know if this is what you want to know but hope it helps

I used to get the weekly mixed veg/fruit box but stopped - partly because we have a goodish farmers market nearby now and partly because we went through about 8 weeks of getting kale and kiwi fruit and although I like Kale theres a limit to how much I can eat and I loathe kiwi fruit.

So you can't choose what you get, it's just whats in?

It's just we have a Co-op in our village and I am sick of paying OTT prices for rubbish fruit and veg. We have 2 butchers and 2 bakers but no grocers which seems madness to me but hey ho!

MrsWobble, Is Ocado a sister company of Waitrose? The reason I ask is that Waitrose don't deliver in our area.

I used to buy from Abel and cole and didn't have any problems.

You cannot ask for certain things to be added into your box, but, you can select certain items that you don't like and they will make sure that they are not included.

All the stuff was packed brilliantly and not damaged at all.

I would defianately recommend them.

I think Ocado is actually a separate company from Waitrose but it delivers Waitrose goods.

nbg i also have an organic veg box thread running!
i am leaning towards abel and cole too though..

Really, wheres that then?

A&C is the high point of my week; muscular young Antipodeans carry boxes into my kitchen. Speaking as a middleaged suburban matron, it's worth every penny

Decision made!

oh i think i stuck it in other subjects or something!
a lot of people recommending riverford.
but they scared me by having green batavia and swiss chard in their boxes

lol!

motherinferior... can you request the muscular Antipodeans?
i am scared i'll have to make do with a pale lanky lad

We get those too, you know. Nothing but the best from my young Antipodeans.

They've started leaving the boxes on the doorstep and running, do you think I've scared them off?

ooh young maaaaan!

I don't get out much.

One of the poor lads once got invited in to see the two-day-old DD2. He said the nicest things, in a hunted sort of a way.

PMSL!

SL I've just checked out Riverford but they don't deliver up ere!

I use A&C. I must admit that I've pretty much stuck to their "weaning box", not because my children are at that stage, but it does mean that I always get "kid-friendly" fruit and veg, plus the quantities suited me, but I feel that it may not be as good value for money as some ofhte other boxes. From memory last delivery was cauliflower, courgettes, carrots, apples, kiwi and melon, so all stuff that I know will be eaten.

Ive just started getting a family box from A&C and so far so good. Nice and fresh, nicely packed etc and a good selection (which you can change)

Once you register with them does that mean they send you a box every week or do you order as and when required?

Buy the dates as an extra each week.

I wish A and C would deliver to my new house, how I miss them.

NBG- you can set up delivery as often as you need. I used to have them every week but then change if I didn't want it or wanted extra stuff. If you find you have a glut of courgettes for example, you can temporarily dislike them until you have cleared the backlog. I found the website very simple to use.

Sorry PP I don't understand what you said.

Ignore that.

So if I register and order a small box it will come every week with different products in?

They vary it weekly, but if you look on the website at whats in the box for that week, you can say if you dislike anything and they replace it with something from your favorites list.

Ah right, I have had a good look on the site.

It's just I might not need a box every week.