Having tried a few of the national veg box schemes, it never occurred to me to seek out a company around the Brighton area. And Fin and Farm are just that; a small company who have grown from supplying commercial kitchens to domestic over the last 8 years. It makes sense to source as local as possible, especially with all the farms and food producers just on or past the Sussex Downs.
As well as fruits and vegetables, they also supply Sussex meats (and charcuterie made with it), local eggs, cheese and milk, soft drinks, raw Sussex honey, oils and treats.
But the core boxes (available as fruit, juicing, salad or vegetable) are a good place to start. I received the Medium veg box (£12 - feeds 2-3) which had a good variety included. Sometimes the veg boxes try too hard and you end up wasting a bit with obscure items. You need some basic staples every week (carrots, potatoes, onions, salad and the like) as well as some highlights. The box was perfect for that, and actually, I didn't waste a single thing.
Included was:
- Bunched carrots
- A couple of leeks
- 3 small red peppers
- Parsnips
- A pack of mixed stir fry leaves
- Spring greens
- Bunch of beetroot
- Two small round head lettuce
Now they don't exclusively sell local veg, the box was made up of Sussex, English and imported produce. (Hey, you want avocados, they are going to have to come from somewhere.) The origin of the products are transparently labelled on their site.
I supposed the main USP, other than the local link, was that everything was excellent quality and fresh, the beetroot in particular, something I buy a lot of, was amazing. Often the supermarkets cut off the beet tops as they wilt quickly but these were so fresh it would have been a crime to waste them.
The salads were crisp and vibrant and I loved the stir fry leaf mix. I really struggle finding interesting leaves in the usual supermarkets but this contained mizuna, tatsoi, mustard greens and chard. Delicious.
They had also included a couple of egg boxes from the award winning Holmansbridge Farm near Lewes. I can really taste the difference of decent eggs, they don't cost the Earth so I think it's worth the switch.
If you are considering a veg/fruit box scheme then serious consider Fin and Farm. As well as using a company that is part of the local community you are supporting our local producers. Plus as they operate a no-frills attitude, what you lose in nice, branded packaging and brochures (not something I technically agree with as a branding designer ha!) you gain by cost saving. Fin and Farm are much cheaper than the big brand veg schemes. They are also a small company with a handful of people too so you can be sure of a personal service.
I was sent these products to review, words and opinion, as always, are my own.
