jess Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 Hi guys I was wondering how many of you if any get your vegetables delivered with a company like abel and cole? I am moving out with my boyfriend and I want to have a largely vegetable based diet and a weekly delivered box sounds fab Just wondering if anyone had any downsides to it or found it generally to be too expensive. Thanks for reading x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlo Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 I did it for a while and got my stuff from Riverford. The only thing was that there was only so much purple sprouting brocolli that I could eat and I often ended up throwing some away! I really like the idea and may go back to it at some time. Sadly, I am not a good enough cook to do loads of different things with veg but, if you are, I think that they are a fab idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 I've had a Riverford box for years now and it is really good value for money. I love not having to choose my vegetables and we now eat a much wider variety than I would have ever bought myself in the shops. I love PSB but we didn't get much last year because of the weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 I gave up with a local delivery scheme as I was paying a silly amount for huge amounts of mud as the stuff was sold by the lb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 I use the Rivernene branch of riverford and tend to get the new root and greens box as well as the workplace fruit, yes my children eat that much fruit. Never had a problem with quality and its lovely chatting to Stephen my local franchisee and knowing that I'm helping a local family keep up a decent local business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jess Posted February 23, 2009 Author Share Posted February 23, 2009 I use the Rivernene branch of riverford and tend to get the new root and greens box as well as the workplace fruit, yes my children eat that much fruit. Never had a problem with quality and its lovely chatting to Stephen my local franchisee and knowing that I'm helping a local family keep up a decent local business. yes thats a good point my local one would come from a farm me and my boyfriend used to go on school trips to when we were seven ( we werent dating then) so that would be nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ana's flock Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 I did get some from Abel and Cole but the parsnips were really skinny like a small onion with a long bit of yarn attached to it. And also, there's only so much celeriac and suede we can eat... Now I go to local farmers' markets and the local farm shop, not necessary organic but good quality locally grown produce. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoebe Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 I had a local scheme, but we drowned in kale. I tried Abel and Cole, as you can opt in and out, but they are very expensive as the quantities are so small. It is fun to some extent being "forced" to eat certain things rather than having to choose, but on the whole, I think with the waste and the price, they end up being uneconomic. Better to use a farm shop/farmers market where you can still decide what to eat on the basis of whats there/in season, but can pick your own quantity and quality. Hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 I love the being forced to use things. It made me pickle my first beetroots and I made 36 banana, carrot and pear muffins the other day to use up bits. They were gone in 24 hours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Licken Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 I get a fruit and veg box from River Nene once a fortnight. It is a pretty good scheme, when I remember I check beforehand what is due to be in it and have been known to change the box I have to avoid certain veggies - Brussles Sprouts spring to mind!! It does make me eat more veggies than I would otherwise and I have become very adept at soup making!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluffyknickers Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 I have tried these a couple of times with Abel and Cole however I did find I was getting things that just ended up going rotten as didnt use them and it worked out expensive. Have had the fruit too but just got fed up with lots of apples and pears that didnt get eaten. However think its a good idea if you are going to use everything and if it comes from local near you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I generally like getting my fruit/veg box but like others, get sick of getting purple kale which I can't get to taste nice . I'm drowning in veg at the moment too - I find if you don't keep on top of it (ie eat lots of veg at EVERY meal, you can't get through it all in a week). I've cancelled for a week so I can catch up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ecky Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I had a local organic delivery scheme for 6 month, but wasn't impressed (broccoli mainly made of stalks, tiny little onions etc.). Some of the stuff was no good, some was ok, however one is not in control what comes to the door. If you go down the farmer market or super market, you see what you buy and pick what is suitable. As for the food miles put on, I don't see a lot of difference in you going down the shop or the van coming to your door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbaraJ Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 i've used river nene for a couple of years but stopped few months ago as we were wasting alot with 3 teens who come and go all week and don't eat meals. I have bought the ocado organic veg/fruit box and that is excellent. All stuff i would use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yvonne Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I had a fab truly local scheme in Wokingham some years ago, but it ended up being sold to a farm shop and went rapidly downhill (seemed to be the rubbish they could not sell !). Then tried Riverford, but also found it difficult to balance my cooking with what they delivered and I really hate to waste anything. It is a good way to eat more veg though as I now buy at a supermarket and although I waste very little, I eat less too - guess I should use the local market, but no excuse other than laziness. Boxes are a great way to push yourself to eat more veg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrambledhead Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I've used Abel & Cole for ages and have found them to be very good, also you can opt out so you only get what you want. I have a delivery just once a fortnight so I don't end up with too much. Left overs get composted, or juiced and from Saturday when my ex bats arrive they can help out too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Used to have Able & Cole Family Box for 5 delivered weekly. Was good and we were forced to try veg we had never thought of before like Colrabi. But if you hate something you can then exclude it. We only gave up when hubbie was made redundant and it was a luxury that had to go. Now he's back in work, I've not gone back to it, but tend to go to the local Pick Your Own Farm in summer instead. But they were good whilst we could afford them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing cloud Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 I'm also part of the River Nene group, thanks to recommendations from here . They do a range of boxes to pick from and you can also add to them or completely set up your own box from their list of fruit/veg/extras. Their only condition is that each delivery must cost no less than £12.50 to cover their delivery costs. I've never yet met my distributor as he arrives during the day, but it's lovely to get home and find the fruit and veg pixies have delivered . All I've got to do now is find out when the cooking pixies are coming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 If I ever catch my veg box delivery person, she's always having a wee chat to my girls . She often gives them the odd leaf (which they always turn their beaks up at ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Millihelen Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 We've been having a Riverford delivery for over 2 years now. It now comes from their River Norton farm in Hampshire (I think). We have a Winter box every fortnight which turns into a Summer box (in summer!). We used to have a standard Medium box, but we always ended up with too many potatoes. Our delivery is on Wednesday and if you login before Monday evening you can change or cancel the order - so sometimes I switch boxes. Our main problem this winter has been too many parsnips. I love them, but the kids aren't keen. Also far too many swedes and some squash we kept too long - but the chooks loved them cooked and slightly mashed. We had purple sprouting last delivery and it was delicious. Also I can't eat supermarket carrots at all now - even the organic ones. We have found that it really does spoil you for shop bought vegetables. Oh - and the delivery is left in the porch when I am out (I leave the empties out for collection) and I pay automatically via WorldPay, usually the following day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phonix Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 oooh this sounds really good! I cant wait to move out of my uni house so I can do something like this!!! woo! xxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoebe Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 I had an organic veg bag with my ocado order this week; not enough potatoes, but really nice quality veg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatsCube Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 I did it for a while but my main gripe was not having the right quantities of things to do what I wanted. i.e only ever a little over 1 meals worth of spuds, and carrots, so I always had to go out and get additional stuff. I have found it better to go to local farm shops. I do really rate meat boxes though, with mine I told them how many family members, what ages, how much we eat and how many meals the box needed to do, and we pay a set amount a month and they tailor it to that budget, and I know I get what I need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 It didn't really work for me as the nearest scheme at the time was based in Worcester and I felt I couldn't justify the carbon footprint. It was a bit pricy for what you get too, and as they couldn't gurantee a delivery time, the box was often sitting on the doorstep all day. Once I got an allotment, I cancelled the order. We've now had a lovely organic deli open up near us, so what I can't grow myself, I can get from there. I'm sure it works well for some people though, and in principle I am in favour of this type of scheme. Especially for those who are frail and/or housebound. My Mum is 78 this month and loves her weekly veg box. She says it makes her want to cook different things and try out new recipes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
