Your experience with Fruit and Vegetable Box Schemes?

Steve_L

Qhi said:

@Steve_L perhaps they left them out there as local wildlife feed, I imagine there's a lot less food litter for the animals now with most everyone indoors, maybe if theres any left for the humans you or someone could rescue it for them?

They looked full, less what the wildlife had had. I felt guilty, but I didn't have anything on me to leave a message on the door and it was at the far end of the blocks of flats. Going back home with the box, then back with the message and then back home again is beyond my walking range these days.Whilst I wish you a long life, don't get old.

doingitanyway

I had a Riverford box this week. Nothing was fresh. A very stale box that cost me £22. 

suki1964

If you are just looking for veg delivered to your door, more like how it looks when bought from a supermarket whilst under lockdown, then look for wholesalers in your area, They would have been selling to the catering trade, which has now gone so most have moved over to delivering to the door step

With those there will be a complete list of produce that they are selling so you only order what you want

The company I work to have moved to doorstep deliveries to keep us going. Its not as cheap as the supermarkets, its not organic, but its a lot fresher then you would be able to get in a supermarket

TheBanker

I'd agree with looking for local businesses. I am ordering my fruit and veg from a local green grocer who normally trades on the market, which is currently closed. The items delivered are bigger/fresher than you get in the supermarket, but slightly more expensive (but he doesn't charge for delivery). You can choose exactly what you want. He says customers have asked him to continue the delivery service even when the market re-opens. He says he will keep delivering while ever enough people keep placing orders. 
There are two other local businesses that have popped up. Both offer mixed fruit and veg boxes from a catering wholesaler. No good to me as you can't choose the contents and they are 'family sized". But people who have used them have given good feedback. 

Qhi

I've started with a local community box scheme and am so far happy with it, will have to see how it goes.
@Steve_L sure, makes sense, I pick up my order from a collection point, I wonder why they never done that?

MoonChild91

I'm with Abel and Cole, and they seem better now than your experience. I have had one particularly bad box, but was refunded, and their customer service is excellent. I will probably leave once the covid situation is over as I do find them expensive compared to buying in shops, but it's been really handy to have at the minute! My housemate uses Riverford who also seem alright, but from what I've seen I don't think they're as good value as Abel and Cole. 
Our local suppliers aren't taking on new sign ups or I would have switched to one of those probably. 

jaytin69

Personally I think if you stick with the standard boxes you get better value for money, if you want individual items as I did then things don't work out so well. I definitely wouldn't be doing that again as I got badly ripped off. I have started getting a standard box for the last few weeks from Riverford and it's okay. The only complaint I have is that often I choose a box that has one thing I really want and that's the item that gets substituted, I know these things happen but it does irk me that it happens regularly. I also wish they would bring back the less roots box, I really don't need carrots, onions and potatoes every week.

jbkmum

@jaytin69 I've thrown the carrots out every week and we have used the potatoes. Onions are in a box and they just keep getting added to. I've thrown the swede away each week as well. But we're getting better at using it all up I'm glad to say. Tonight I'm going to mince the remaining mushrooms and add them to the bolognese I'm cooking, I need to chop up the celery and freeze it. Roast the cauliflower as my other half likes to snack on roasted veg. 

We get ours locally in York, I kept getting mouldy veg from Riverford sadly

jaytin69

@jbkmum luckily I haven't had anything mouldy, in fact most items lasted longer than I expected, although I have noticed organic carrots do not keep very well compared to standard non-organic ones, there just seems to be a big lack of variety at the moment. We sliced and froze a ton of carrots which helped, the potatoes will keep for a while in cloth bags but the onions are forming a bit of a mountain, especially now the weather got warmer! Maybe we all need to get more inventive with using it all up...I found a recipe for carrot bread! 

MrsStepford

I have an onion mountain. I bought a Brabantia regrower from Amazon and I'm wondering what I do with the sprouting ones from it, later. Pot ? I'm getting a no spuds box from Riverford and a fruit bag. Impressed by Riverford actually, may switch from Abel & Cole. Nothing damaged at all. Rainbow carrots don't last long. There was a tip, to twist off the tops on bunched carrots as the greenery draws the moisture out of the carrot.