How good are veg boxes?

Is a home delivery service really the best way to enjoy local, seasonal fruit and vegetables?

There are now more than 500 veg box schemes in the UK, and market leaders, such as Riverford and Abel & Cole, deliver nationwide – Riverford sends out around 40,000 boxes a week. Companies have branched into meats, dairy and even drinks, while many small-scale farmers have started to offer direct sales to help boost profits and offer local, organic ingredients.

The Soil Association has a handy search tool (soilassociation.org) for finding organic, often non-profit delivery schemes near you, while bigbarn.co.uk is a website dedicated to promoting small-scale farmers and producers across the UK.

If you’re used to year-round availability of your favourite ingredients, switching to a seasonal veg-box scheme can be a challenge, especially in winter, when cabbage, kale and potatoes dominate. Thankfully, most now include weekly recipe ideas, and offer ‘opt-outs’ if your family can’t cope with endless celeriac!

In the winter months, most schemes will also import some produce, especially fruit, if it’s not available locally. They will stick to European producers to minimise the carbon footprint of your food.

Often still more expensive than supermarkets, some schemes now offer local ‘hub drop-off points’ to reduce costs, while Riverford provides a monthly price comparison with organic supermarket prices.