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Food Boxes - are they worth the cost?

(22 Posts)
Norah Wed 22-Feb-17 17:15:09

My order is for a small box one week and a larger box the next. My small box is lovely, but to get some variety I switch a bit. My GC eat veg at tea, I never have too many carrots or mushrooms. I make a soup or freeze what I don't use. I also share with my DDs.

Jalima Wed 22-Feb-17 15:44:19

That's what we did too Auntieflo, we had a big chest freezer but I used to have to bag it all up and label it when we got home.

BlueBelle Wed 22-Feb-17 14:36:33

Oh dear I don't spend more than that at Aldi or Lldl for my weeks shopping ( only me before you all think I m a cheapskate)
That looks an awful lot of money The veg wouldn't come to more than a fiver and the meat maybe £15 at the most

merlotgran Wed 22-Feb-17 13:47:45

They look like chipolatas to me.

willsmadnan Wed 22-Feb-17 13:33:02

That's even worse ! I over-estimated the sausagessad.

Auntieflo Wed 22-Feb-17 13:32:09

Jalima, way back in the 70's, we also used to stock up he freezer with half a hind quarter of beef, half a pig and a whole lamb. This was all jointed, but I did have to wrap and bag it up to put in the freezer. I dread to think what that would cost in todays market, and it wasthe handling of all that raw meat was eventually put me off buying it like that.

Riverwalk Wed 22-Feb-17 13:13:18

wills there is only 800g of meat, plus 8 sausages!

willsmadnan Wed 22-Feb-17 12:23:43

Flippin'eck shock.... £44 for about a kilo and a half of meat ( the cheaper end of the meat price scale at that) and some very 'ordinaire' veg. (Staggers off to check what day of the week it is)

Jalima Wed 22-Feb-17 11:52:32

Years ago we used to stock up our freezer with meat from a local farm which worked out much cheaper than going to the butcher or supermarket.
I see that it now sells and delivers 'meat boxes' which look good but are very expensive.

merlotgran Wed 22-Feb-17 10:50:44

Jeepers! Is that all you get for £44 shock

grannymouse303 Wed 22-Feb-17 09:54:31

Thanks for the help guys. I've looked around and found this organic starter box which has a mixture of veg and meat. It does look like you get quite a lot of food in these boxes but I'll make my judgement when it arrives!

Luckygirl Tue 21-Feb-17 17:14:12

We don't do this for three reasons: one, they are too expensive; two, you get what you are given and it is not always what you might like; and three, we would have masses left over as OH is a salad/veg dodger!

Swanny Tue 21-Feb-17 16:58:48

I used to have a weekly vegetable box but personally found it expensive.

Have had a meat box delivered by 'field and flower' for a few months now and am delighted with the quality. There is a wide selection to choose from and you don't have to commit to a regular delivery.

BlueBelle Tue 21-Feb-17 16:50:04

They're very expensive I think bit of a fad

goldengirl Tue 21-Feb-17 16:43:17

We have Hello Fresh and I'm delighted with this company. Their recipes are easy and interesting - sometimes items I've never used or even heard of; the ingredients are provided and I don't get bloated. I buy a box for 2 people on a regular weekly contract which provides 3 different meals. You have a choice of 5 recipes and choose 3 [or accept the set choice of 3]. The website is easy to use and it makes cooking more fun. You don't have to be in to receive the box as long as you stipulate a 'safe' place. The items are divided into 'meals' and there's an insulated bag for food needing to be cold. I've never used a demi lune so much smile.

HildaW Tue 21-Feb-17 13:15:28

I'm happy to recommend both Abel&Cole and Riverford.

grannymouse303 Tue 21-Feb-17 12:52:40

Thanks for the responses. Can anyone recommend a place to order from?

Treebee Mon 20-Feb-17 19:07:31

Like HildaW I have a small veg box most weeks. I appreciate the quality and taste of the organic veg, especially the carrots, mushrooms and potatoes. They send produce I might not have picked up in the supermarket like fennel and celeriac so it expands my horizons! I can skip a week if I don't need the box, and have a never send list of things I don't like. Been using them for ten years or so and only had a couple of complaints which they dealt with satisfactorily.
I haven't tried any recipe boxes either though the company I use does do them. They are expensive and don't appeal to me.

willsmadnan Mon 20-Feb-17 16:52:07

I don't go for the veg boxes as it seems to have to have whatever the provider chooses to put in, and I'm a bit of a control freak in the kitchen, but went onto a posting on my FB page for a fish box. I am very tempted as I love fish and as there are 3 sizes of box, delivered either weekly, fortnightly or monthly, and can be cancelled at any time. The £35 medium size provides 10 -12 portions, which for me would be more than that, and a monthly delivery would be fine ... I can freeze it. You can choose from several categories and state what you really don't like ( conger eel, for me) and it comes fresh from Scotland with no extra charge for delivery. So. I've never ordered a food box before, but I'm greatly tempted.
Disclaimer for the GN cynics.... I know nothing about the company .... my five -times removed cousin is not an employee AFAIKgrin

Araabra Mon 20-Feb-17 14:59:35

I get a box of veg a week. Saves me a bit of worry in the market and doesn't seem to cost much.

HildaW Mon 20-Feb-17 14:07:15

I have a small box of organic vegetables once a week. Its not really about the money, I choose to have them because some organic vegetables really are very superior imo to the supermarket ones. I find they make much richer soups and are much more tasty especially in salads. The ones I find that definitely knock socks off even supermarket so called organic are - carrots, cauliflower, mushrooms, any leaves such as spring greens and kale, salads and herbs.

I have not been tempted by the complete meals ones - as I see those more for time poor folks who cannot source all the ingredients easily. I am lucky to be able to take all day to cook a meal if I'm in the mood and we are blessed with very good local food.

grannymouse303 Mon 20-Feb-17 13:58:59

Ordering food boxes online seems to be really popular now. Does anyone buy them regularly and are they worth the money?