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Thread: organic veggie box deliveries

  1. #1

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    Default organic veggie box deliveries

    I am quite proud that the local oranic shop has asked me if I could get enough students in student village interested to make it worht while for them to do a veggie box delivery! I hope I can get enough ppl interested cos I certainly am! Then I will be almost 100% organic as well as vegan and 80% raw!

  2. #2
    AR Activist Roxy's Avatar
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    Wow that's really great!

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    I hate to sound ignorant, but veggie boxes have been mentioned here in the past and I don't really know what that is. Can someone explain? Thanks!

  4. #4
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    They're just boxes of vegetables you get delivered to your door. You can usually choose based on certain criteria like top ten favourite veg, food miles, that sort of thing.

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    Thanks Cloudy! That's sounds really cool. I haven't heard of any such service near where I live.

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    Default

    They are a big thing around here but to be fair I stopped mine I was getting some pretty sorry looking veg for the money, I may be vegan and ethical but I am not loaded.....

    Luckily now we have a regular organic marke in my town twice a week - Although I am strict vegan I am not 100% only for finance reasons so I try to buy organic when may bank balance is ££££
    Go confidently in the direction of your dreams

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    Earth mama Lentil's Avatar
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    Default Organic box schemes

    This may have been discussed elsewhere (had a good look but couldn't find it though) so apologies if it has

    How good are the organic box schemes? I've been thinking about it for quite a while but they always seem so expensive! There are 7 of us to feed so it could end up costing a forune. Anyone on here get boxes each week? How much do you get for your money? I've found a couple of sites which list the contents but not the quantity - it just says "apples" which is all well and good but is it 1 or 20

    The two in particular I'm looking at are www.riverford.co.uk and www.abel-cole.co.uk so anyone got any experience of them?

    Thanks
    Last edited by Korn; Aug 14th, 2005 at 07:56 AM. Reason: This was the first post in a similar thread
    Vegan at last .. woo hoo!!

  8. #8
    Kevster
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    Default Re: Organic box schemes

    I work for an organic fruit and veg wholesaler outside of Leeds, and they run a box scheme, the organic food is pretty reasonably priced is it goes, we get a £10 veg box and get some fruit too. The veg box would last a couple of days if it was used to solely create meals in the evening for seven of us. For veg boxes i would suggest looking for a smaller local business and steer clear of the larger ones, because sometimes poorer quality goods can find their way into veg boxes that wholesale customers have rejected. Plus the smaller companies pay greater attention to customer care as they have fewer of them. The downside is that they have less buying power. Also worth looking into how much they produce themselves, it really is the only way to get locally grown organic fruit and veg.

  9. #9
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Organic box schemes

    I use one called Farmaround and like them on the whole, but I think they mostly do greater London so might not be helpful for you.

    For what it's worth the food seems to work out a bit cheaper than buying organic food in a supermarket but more expensive than buying non-organic food in a supermarket (and a lot more expensive than buying from non-organic street markets etc).

    I'm sure Kevster is right that local ones are the best if you can find one - makes sense from the "food miles" point of view as well. I have heard the downside of the local ones, if you think it is a downside, is that the contents of the boxes are usually more limited in variety, because they are sticking to what's in season in a given area.

    With seven of you to feed maybe you could strike a semi-wholesale deal with a local grower...There are just two of us and the food in a "large" vegetable bag is about right for us if we eat in about five nights in the week.

  10. #10
    Herbsman
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    Thumbs up Can you get a box scheme in your area?

    When I found out about my local box scheme it was the best thing ever. Not having to go into town to buy vegetables that have been flown in from europe and beyond. They're much fresher as they were picked more recently and have only travelled about 25 miles rather than 2500...

    If you can get one in your area then I'd recommend it, it will save you time and might even save you some money. It'll also be less damaging to the environment (far less travel, therefore far less fossil fuels burnt. no packaging except for the reusable, returnable box).
    Last edited by flutterby; Aug 18th, 2006 at 01:10 PM. Reason: This was the 1st post in a similar thread.

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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    Quote uww27225 View Post
    Thanks Cloudy! That's sounds really cool. I haven't heard of any such service near where I live.
    Hi, I know this post is from years ago, but if you are still in Milwaukee there are several places that do this, one being Feild's Best (at the Public Market) as well as several other CSA's you can get pamphlets on at Outpost.

  12. #12
    veggyboxes
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    Quote Fruitbat View Post
    I am quite proud that the local oranic shop has asked me if I could get enough students in student village interested to make it worht while for them to do a veggie box delivery! I hope I can get enough ppl interested cos I certainly am! Then I will be almost 100% organic as well as vegan and 80% raw!
    Fruitbat - This is great...

    We have launched a non commercial website to let people recommend and search for box schemes in their area. It was launched today and now needs everyone to log on and recommend the scheme they use. It would be great if the users of this site could recommend their local schemes and we hope to quickly have a directory of trustworthy, customer promoted schemes for aeveryone to search.

    Visit www.vegboxschemes.co.uk and recommend today... Thanks

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    Default organic suppliers

    Can anyone help me find a organic veg box delivery scheme that is close to were I live? I live in Rowley Regis in the West Midlands I have tried organic veg from the supermarket and was not very impressed by the taste it was much the same as conventional veg. I did try a box from a website and it was much better but the cost was too high to have very often. Can anyone help me? thanks
    Last edited by flutterby; Nov 22nd, 2006 at 07:27 PM. Reason: this was the 1st post in a similar thread

  14. #14
    CarrotCruncher applepie's Avatar
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    Default Re: organic suppliers

    This is where I had my veg box from while I was living in Birmingham: http://www.flightsorchardorganics.co.uk/
    They also do eggs and stuff, which I was not too happy with, but the veg was always very good quality. I first tried a different supplier but it was too expensive and the veg was often past its sell-by date, so to speak.
    First it was necessary to civilize man in relation to man.
    Now it is necessary to civilize man in relation to nature and the animals.
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  15. #15
    Kevster
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    ' New Organic Vegetable and Fruit Box Scheme

    We are a vegan family who have started a small organic box scheme in West London. All vegetables and fruit come from Fair Trade, Soil Association certified organic cooperatives. Where possible all produce is from the UK, nothing is ever airfreighted. We aim to provide a range of boxes at affordable prices, always lower than the main supermarkets.

    For more information look at www.woodfieldorganics.com '

    From: www.veganvillage.co.uk

  16. #16
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    Farmaround, who we have used for years on and off, seem to have lost the plot recently, so I'm planning to try a different scheme, e.g. this one:

    http://www.organicdelivery.co.uk/

    The Woodfield one doesn't reach as far as SW15 yet unfortunately.

    Just wondered if anyone in the London area had any recommendations or dis-recommendations, please?

    ETA I wrote to Woodfield to ask when they would deliver to my area and it seems they do, in fact. So I might give them a try, but I would still be interested in any recommendations people here may have.

  17. #17

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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    I used farmaround last year when I was in halls. Twice they came too early while I was at uni and left it at the main front door (on a main road!) onlyforittobe nicked, and no apology from them. acouple of times the stuff was off, and the final delivery never showed up -I waited all day. I wouldn't recommend them.

  18. #18
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    Apologies, I missed your message, bryzee.

    Sorry to hear you had a bad experience with Farmaround. As I said they used to be OK (though delivery times were always erratic) but I think like a lot of small businesses they may have lost control as they've expanded.

    Have ordered from Woodfield for next week so let's see what that's like. ETA that on another board I got a lot of recommendations for Abel & Cole so I might give them a try sometime as well, but they don't tick the "vegan" box.

  19. #19

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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    I'm looking at abel & cole and UK5 organics at the moment - to choose later in the week. I'll let you know what I choose, when I choose.

  20. #20
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    Thanks - I haven't heard of UK5 before, I don't think, but the way they've organised their ordering looks quite clever.

    Perhaps we can compare notes on the ones we choose. I may try more than one (in different weeks!) unless Woodfield proves to be the business of course.

  21. #21
    BlackCats
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    I meant to start this up again. I used to use farmaround but it annoyed me that they could only deliver on one day.

    I think I will see what you think Bryzee and Harpy and copy you.

  22. #22
    gorillagorilla Gorilla's Avatar
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    i used Real Food Direct a couple of times but they went out of business. they recommended their customers use Abel & Cole instead but i'm not sure.
    'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'

  23. #23
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    Aphrodite, this one seemed to offer a choice of delivery days

    http://www.organicdelivery.co.uk/

    and I think Abel & Cole may do as well.

    Not sure whether the larger ones are as ideologically sound as the small ones - e.g. I don't know how "local" the stuff would be if the service was national. I assume having one delivery round per area per day may conserve fuel, but maybe the big firms have enough customers to justify more deliveries.

    I don't really mind what day they bring the stuff on but it would be nice if they either brought it on the advertised day or else warned you when they're not going to.

  24. #24
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    I use [...]...
    "It's not that people suddenly start breeding like rabbits; it's just that people stopped dropping like flies" - population explosion

  25. #25
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    And how do you find River Nene, witchy? I think Riverford, which delivers down here, is the same outfit under a different name.

  26. #26
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    I just looked at that one Harpy - it is a bit expensive for me. I don't remember farmaround being that dear.

    The other problem I had was that my husband doesn't eat any fruit or veg so it is only for me and also that I don't like some veggies like onions anymore.

    Actually it is all flooding back to me as to why I stopped using a box scheme.

  27. #27
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    From what friends have said it can be hard using up the bags if it's effectively for just one person, wheras with two or more people eating it, it sort of averages out. Some of the firms do small bags and allow you to leave out certain items but you may still end up with stuff you don't want.

    If I had a market or something near me I mightn't bother with the deliveries, but it's all supermarkets round here. And I do quite like the way you get types of veg that you wouldn't necessarily think of buying.

    ETA there does seem to be a fair amount of variation in the costs but as most of them don't give quantities it's hard to compare.

  28. #28

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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    with uk5 organics you can deselect items - thus making your box cheaper! Not only that but with others you can request replacement items with most companies if you don't like certain items.

  29. #29
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    Yes, most of the schemes let you pick and choose up to a point, but I think it's quite hard e.g. if (like one of my friends) you don't like brassicas as that's most of what they include in the winter! Fortunately we like most things...

  30. #30
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    I had to look up the word "brassicas".

    I have been ordering veggies from Sainsbury's but they are definitely not as nice or as fresh tasting.

  31. #31
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    i do worry about what would happen if i ended up with a box full of veg i didn't like. i'm not very adventurous with cooking and i'd probably get a load of stuff i had no idea what to do with.
    'The word gorilla was derived from the Greek word Gorillai (a "tribe of hairy women")'

  32. #32
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    [...] is ok so far I think...except you don't get the option of having something you don't like taken out.

    I like the box things as you get variety rather than me eating the same each week!
    "It's not that people suddenly start breeding like rabbits; it's just that people stopped dropping like flies" - population explosion

  33. #33

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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    yeah that's what i like, witchy - forces me to a) not waste, and ; b) be creative.

  34. #34
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    With Abel & Cole you can pick and choose everything. I heard a whisper last week that they are planning to sell the company so who knows what changes that will make?
    here comes the sun

  35. #35
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    I'll be getting my first box from Organica on Thursday, I know my friend is very happy with them, they never airfreight anything, they give you recipes for any unusual fruit or veg, let you leave out stuff you don't like, and because I'd been recommended my friend and I both got £1.50 off our first order
    "If you don't have a song to sing you're okay, you know how to get along humming" Waltz (better than fine) - Fiona Apple

  36. #36
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    Well we used to run one in Rossendale - which we called Nature's Garden. We have now passesd it onto someone else who wanted to devote more time to it than we could. However I have to tell you it is seriously difficult and extremly difficult to make any money from. We are in the best time of year at the moment by a long way and during some times of the year it is extraordinarily difficult to get hold of good produce - there simply is not enough of it. The person who runs your scheme may be trying to help people rather than anything else - so - if that is the case - please be understanding of their many difficulties! We help Jackie, who took Nature's Garden over - by buying up anything she has to excess or anything that is not that fresh!

  37. #37
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    I'm sure it is difficult, and I feel I have cut ours quite a lot of slack in recent months. However from the punter's point of view if the service drops below a certain level of reliability it's worse than not having it at all, IYSWIM, and you have to draw the line somewhere.

    No quality issues with ours though - just issues about whether the delivery would arrive on the agreed day, and what would be in it (in terms of additional groceries etc which you could order, and also whether you'd get the fruit/veg bags you'd ordered). I may just have been unlucky, because they didn't seem to be aware of having a general problem.

  38. #38
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    Woodfield produced the goods this morning (sometime before my other half set off for work c. 7.45!) and it seems fine so far. A mixture of plausibly local (apart from the bananas and kiwis) fruit and veg delivered in a wooden orange box which I think they will take back and re-use.

    From memory, the contents included kale, pointed cabbage, broccoli, tomatoes, lettuce, mushrooms, sweetcorn, fennel, beetroot, onions, potatoes and carrots, plus two kinds of apples, pears, and the aforementioned kiwis and bananas. The carrots are pleasantly earthy and misshapen and it all looks quite fresh.

    Can't get on to their web site at the moment to remind myself of exact prices but this is a "family" fruit and veg box which costs just under £20.

    So far so good.

  39. #39
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    I have ordered from Riverford and Abel & Cole. Riverford definitely give more generous quantities for your money.

  40. #40
    fortified twinkle's Avatar
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    Got my box today - they had left me off the delivery list and for some reason put me down for a small rather than a medium (to be fair, I think the lady who took my order went into labour the day after so she probably had other things on her mind), the quality looks fine, and the people who run it couldn't be nicer.

    They had brought me a box of eggs by way of apology for missing me off yesterday, but whisked them away when I said I was vegan and promised me "something nice" in next week's delivery.

    And I got to see a 6-day old baby
    "If you don't have a song to sing you're okay, you know how to get along humming" Waltz (better than fine) - Fiona Apple

  41. #41
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    They've got the baby making deliveries already?

  42. #42
    BlackCats
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    I was going to say was the baby offered to Twinkle when she turned down the eggs?

  43. #43
    fortified twinkle's Avatar
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    Hehe, yeah, these hard working sons of the soil types start early

    ... nah, the baby was asleep in the back. Very newborn and adorable looking, but I think I'd rather my "something nice" was some red cabbage or something a bit more useful
    "If you don't have a song to sing you're okay, you know how to get along humming" Waltz (better than fine) - Fiona Apple

  44. #44
    Making changes Est's Avatar
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    I'm hoping to get some recommendations about veg box schemes.

    Depending whether I have a delivery to work or home, I could use:

    Organica
    http://www.organicafood.co.uk/index.htm

    RiverNene
    http://www.rivernene.co.uk/

    Eden Farms
    http://www.edenfarms.co.uk/

    Box Fresh Organics
    http://www.boxfreshorganics.co.uk/index.php

    Any others in Derbyshire/Leicestershire/Staffordshire borders?

    These are not all vegan companies but obviously it's the veg I'd be ordering!!

    If anyone has used any of these schemes (or another one) how did you find them in terms of quality/freshness/service?

    Thanks for any help

  45. #45
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    I'm with Riverford, sister company to River Nene. I've never had any problems with them. The quality and variety of the veg is brilliant.

  46. #46
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    Yes, I think I got a few recommendations for Riverford/River Nene when I asked around, in addition to the ones on here.

    We're still getting on well with Woodfield Organics - thanks again to Kevster for the tip-off - but they're London-only so no use for Est.

  47. #47

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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    I noticed yesterday that my local Tesco are selling organic veg boxes for £8.

  48. #48
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    Mind you one of the things I like about mine is that it doesn't come from a supermarket!

  49. #49
    Making changes Est's Avatar
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    Thanks everyone

  50. #50
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    Default Re: organic veggie box deliveries

    Quote Est View Post
    I'm hoping to get some recommendations about veg box schemes.

    Box Fresh Organics
    http://www.boxfreshorganics.co.uk/index.php
    Hey Est,

    We use BoxFresh and have never had any problems. The cosmos potatoes in the boxes at the mo are really good! Oh, and if you like apples they now have their own orchards so are a regular feature

    Veryblue2

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