Box schemes (weekly supply of in-season fruit and vegetables delivered to individual households for a set price) are very popular in the United Kingdom. After a dip because of the economic recession, box scheme companies are now seeing their weekly number of boxes and their turnover increasing. Next trend are the organic-vegetable box schemes.
Higher demand for organic-vegetable box schemes
In the UK, organic-vegetable box schemes have increased in popularity over the past few years.
This is due to a change in consumer attitudes to how food is sourced coupled with the hectic pace of modern life. Today, many people want fresh, high-quality food that is produced in a sustainable and responsible way. Box schemes optimally fill this niche.
The boxes contain a wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetables produced by the box scheme companies and their affiliated growers. Many suppliers are more than happy to tailor to the contents to individual needs. Some smaller organic farmers operate their own box schemes locally. The boxes are delivered to customers’ homes or to a nearby pick-up point on a weekly basis. Many of the boxes also include recipe ideas to provide a little extra inspiration.
An opportunity for innovative products
The box schemes are continually evolving. Box scheme operators have access to a diverse base of customers who are keen to try new things, giving growers the perfect opportunity to try out their latest innovations. Furthermore, the flexible nature of the contents themselves enables box scheme companies to rapidly respond to market trends. Some growers now produce a box of products specifically for juicing, for example.
Riverford about our organic varieties
Riverford is an example of a successful box scheme company in UK. It began when Guy Watson started delivering vegetables locally to 30 friends in Devon. They now deliver around 47,000 boxes a week to homes around the UK from their regional farms. Riverford our organic vegetable varieties:
“Rijk Zwaan’s innovative products, like the Salanova and the striped aubergine, give us an excellent opportunity to offer our customers a diverse and colourful range of products every week.”
Vegetable box delivery is becoming more and more other countries in Europe, as consumers increasingly appreciate having fresh local products, sourced from the farmer down the road, delivered to their doorstep.
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