Does anyone Abel and Cole? Is it cost effective?

[starrystarrynights]

Abel and Cole the fruit and veg box people have started delivering to my area. Was just interested in hearing from people who use them. I'm thinking about it more from a cost of view - I might have my sums wrong but a medium box seems cheaper that Asda!

Maths in not my strong though

I've read my post and realise that I sound as if I work for them. I don't honestly!

I'm just trying to work out the most cost effective way to do the weekly shop - we tend to run short of fruit by the middle of the week and use the - expensive - Sainsburys local around the corner.

We get our veg from Riverford and if you choose your boxes carefully and use up what you've got it's cheaper than supermarket. Personally I think riverford are better than able & cole - produce seems fresher to me, but I think definitely if used properly it can be cheaper
(though not if you buy Tesco Value range)

We looked at these as well as meat boxes, but they seemed pretty expensive to me, probably because we do buy Tesco value (or cheapest). Although Tesco value bananas confuse me, one week they are 76p the next £1.50, one memorable week they were 36p , I need to get out more.

The Riverford meat boxes do seem really expensive. I've never bought one, but I think the theory is you buy one to last several weeks (2-3) and freeze most of the contents. Then have a lot of meat free meals, but have top quality meat for the meals where you DO eat meat.
Our freezer's too disorganised and full of five-year old batch cooking for me to do this pro teem though

We just had a delivery from Tesco. From Tesco, the costs for equivalent items to this Able and Cole box is:

asparagus £1
six vine tomatoes 84p
mango £1.50
mushrooms 80p
bananas 48p
carrots 56p
lettuce 87p
potatoes £1
onions 86p
(didn't get pears but expect they would be about £1)

Total 8.91

Delivery from tesco was three pounds (but that included all the other groceries as well) giving a total of 11.91.

That compares to £16.75 for the Able and Cole box, so if cost is your main priority Teso is better.

However my Tesco products weren't organic and I don't know how much more organic veg would cost at Tesco. And the Able and Cole is more environmentally friendly obviously.

I use www.farmaround.co.uk/ and they are great. It's a Yorkshire company (local farmers) but they deliver all the way down to London. Their produce is great, pricing fair and it's all organic. Love them.

PS Farmaround also has a clothing company - and they make their clothes from their own sheep wool (rescued animals) . It's an interesting read if you google them.

We had abel and cole in the past and now have Riverford. The Riverford stuff is much better quality
Riverford compare their prices aginst the supermarkets each week and work out about 20 % cheaper when compaing like for like (ie organic). They are supposedly cheaper becuse you are buying direct from the farm so cutting out the middle man.

another vote for Riverford.