--
I'm a big believer in eating healthy, fresh food. I try to cook the majority of my meals from scratch using very few processed ingredients. Over a year ago, I decided to try out a vegetable box scheme, where fresh, mainly local and organic produce is delivered to your door regularly. There are quite a few different options out there, but the company I decided to use is Riverford (http://riverford.co.uk/), and my local Riverford farm is Norton.
Because I live alone and generally am cooking just for myself, I get their smallest combination box - the mini fruit and veg. It usually comes with 5 varieties of vegetables (normally no onions and potatoes) and 2 varieties of fruit. I get one of these a fortnight. I don't get to choose what goes into the box - it's a mixture of seasonal produce from the local farm, with a few carefully selected imports from France and Spain.
Riverford aren't just organic, they also try to be an ethical and 'green' as possible, whilst providing the best produce possible. Their fruit and veg is tastier than anything I'd buy in a supermarket, and I know that it hasn't been air-freighted, driven for miles across the country, or grown by farmers who don't get a decent price for their product. Their packaging is all reusable or recyclable. They collect in the boxes, bags and any ice-packs when they drop off your next delivery.
The website also has recipes and how-to videos, and they update their website weekly with the contents of the next boxes, so you can plan ahead. Sometimes though, I don't check, because I like the surprise each fortnight, especially at the start of a new season, or when I receive something unusual.
One of the real pluses I have found is the fact that sometimes I'll get sent vegetables that I wouldn't choose to buy. This may seem a negative thing, but actually I've ended up trying things I thought I didn't like, and loved them, or just tried things I'd never tasted before. Because the website has some how-to videos, (and also because google and youtube exist) I don't feel scared about not knowing how to prepare or cook something.
Price-wise, yes I probably spend more than I would if I wasn't on the box scheme... but that's because I would buy less veg if left to my own devices. If I went to any supermarket and bought the exact contents of a box, organic, I would definitely be paying more than I do on the box scheme. Because the box I opt for doesn't provide onions or potatoes, I sometimes buy these in addition, although to be honest I rarely eat potatoes and I can make onions last well.
Embarking on a box scheme can take a bit of getting used to, and I still get to the end of some weeks having to throw things away because I haven't used them, but this is something I'm desperately trying to improve on.
All in all, I really recommend just having a go with it! It's really changed the way I eat and cook for the better. =)
No comments:
Post a Comment