The Difficult Decision: Online Veg Delivery Boxes
Abel and Cole Vs Riverford
Turning away from supermarkets and their plastic packaged produce, often leads to the discovery of an online delivery box. They are convenient, source quality, mostly local, mostly seasonal produce and you get to know the farms that they come from.
Two big, national players are Abel and Cole and Riverford. These two can also boast that they source only organic fruit and veg. But choosing one over the other can be a hard decision and when you ask for advice online, you can be met with fans from either side treating the choice much like choosing a football team. There is some encouragement, but also a whole lot of judgement!
So here is an attempt at a non-bias break down of the two delivery boxes. This is based on the Small Veg Box for two people for each company.
Price.
The big question. Both are not ‘cheap’ per se. They aren’t going to compare to the supermarket so just get your head around that first. The Abel and Cole Small Very Veggie Box is £13.25 and you get 7 items in it. The Riverford Small Veg Box is £11.45 and also has 7 items in it. A & C has a delivery charge of £1.25. Riverford is free. If you are just going on price, then Riverford is the obvious winner. However, the minimum order for A & C is £12 where as Riverford is £15. Additionally, if you are going to order meat, you have to spend a minimum of £15 just on meat with Riverford to cover the insulated packaging.
Quality.
I have to say Riverford wins for quality. They are both good, but opening the Riverford box, I was instantly impressed by the colour and robustness of the veg. I have had to email Abel and Cole before about their garlics and onions which have come a bit brown and bruised. To be fair though, they have refunded anything I have complained about (with picture evidence). They both source British produce as much as possible and obviously, being all organic, the taste is great.
Riverford Packaging:
Choice.
Abel and Cole allows you to put things on a 'never send' list. Which is one of my favourite things about them. There are certain veg that we just won’t cook with and would get a back log of fennel, kohl rabi or cavolo nero if I didn’t have the option to say no. When you go into your veg box for the week, anything that was listed on your ‘never send’ comes up as Surprise Veg. If you want more control, you can edit this to choose from a selection of veg options they give you as replacements. I think this is such a wise move from A & C as it reduces the likelihood of veg ending up in the bin. In comparison, Riverford doesn’t allow for swaps which I completely understand, but means you need to be able to be savvy with unusual veg.
For meat eaters: Both offer a good range of land based meat. A & C also offer a seafood selection from sustainably caught fish supplies that have been listed through the Marine Conservation Society where as Riverford does not.
Packaging.
Both are delivered in branded, returnable boxes. Riverford have an attractive looking, slightly sturdier box which is held together with tape. A & C use a kraft box held together with string which can be very useful for craft activities (I used some to decorate Christmas presents). Both have elements of plastic that creep into their packaging of the veg though. I have, in the past received tomatoes and mushrooms in non reusable plastic from A & C. Mostly, things that come in plastic such as carrots and celery are actually fully compostable packaging or if you don’t have a compost, you can return these with your boxes and they will sort for you. It’s similar with Riverford- plastic is still used to package some veg. They have a very informative page explaining their reasons why they do this which I would encourage you to read through before criticising anything that is sent in plastic. Their nets are now fully compostable.
Both supply meat and dairy in plastic packaging.
Abel and Cole Packaging:
Ethics.
This is probably the biggest point of contention. Lovers of Riverford like to bring up the ownership of the company. And for good reason. Riverford aims to be owned by customers and/or staff and it’s current owner, Guy Watson seems to have his heart fully woven into the fabric of the company. Abel and Cole is a ‘for profit’ driven company that was sold to Lloyds and then William Jackson Food Group. The original owner, Keith Abel, obviously had a different idea for his own life and business which doesn’t make him a bad person. However, as a customer, you should always have some idea who’s pockets you are lining and make sure you are comfortable with that.
Comaprison Items.
To give you some idea, the below is a list of basic items and how they compare.
Milk, whole: A & C 1L = £1.20, R 1L= £1.15
White Potatoes (variety changes throughout the year): A&C 1kg = £1.60, R 1.5kg = £2.30
Broccoli: A & C 1 head = £2.20, R 500g = £2.75
Chicken, whole organic: A & C 1.4kg = £11.99, R 1.4kg = £13.25
Beef Mince: A & C 500g = £5.99, R 400g = £4.35
Other points of interest:.
Both companies are pretty open, however Riverford has LOADS of info on their website which I personally really appreciate. Especially as they explain their reasons for doing things the way they do them.
Riverford is better than A & C for listing the veg’s country of origin on the website.
Both companies send bits of information in paper form with their deliveries. I find these valuable as they have recipes, tips for storage and use and information about any unusual veg.
Both have a great variety of pantry goods, however a lot is wrapped in plastic, so caution is necessary if wanting to avoid!
You can not select your delivery time for either- they work out their routes based on where you live. This is best for the environment anyway.
You can skip your orders very easily through both companies if you are going to be away.
This is a bit finickity, but A & C have a more user-friendly website. It might not seem like a big deal, but people are put off a website within a few seconds, so it really needs to be right.
Hopefully this gives some understanding about the two big organic delivery boxes. There are plenty of other companies doing fruit and veg deliveries. Indeed, if you can find a local one, they may well trump these two on price, quality and packaging PLUS you will be supporting a local business and I’m sure the farmer will do a happy dance in your name.
If you do buy from Abel and Cole or Riverford, a point I would make is that, if you are happy with something they are doing or in fact take issue with it, let them know! And I don’t mean going straight to social media. Go direct to the company and make sure they respond to you. They are both very receptive and know that their market is fiercely protective of the environment. Maybe you'll learn something you never thought of. Or maybe they will learn and grow from your feedback!
*Prices are correct at time of publishing, but are subject to change.
