As someone who lives a good 20-minute walk from the nearest supermarket, I happily accepted the task of reviewing the Abel & Cole subscription service to see if it made my life easier and diet healthier.
Touted as a uniquely sustainable food delivery service, Abel & Cole offer a subscription that sees a box of produce delivered to your doorstep, once a week.
Save 50% off your first box, and 25% off your next two – use code VEGCROP
As part of Abel & Cole’s commitment to sustainability, it delivers food in (mostly) recyclable packaging and does its best to send as little of it as possible.
In addition, the suppliers Abel & Cole work with are small, independent growers, and never big corporations.
With that said, a food delivery service can be as sustainable as you like, but if the goods aren’t tasty what is the point?
Over a week I put Abel & Cole’s hero offering – their Small Fruit & Veg Box – to the test.
I wanted to see if it cut the mustard as a convenient, good value and high-quality option for all my weekly fruit and veg needs. Read on for my full review.
How I tested Abel & Cole
I had one Small Fruit & Veg Box sent through from Abel & Cole, which they claim should be enough for one to two people for a week.
For the week I was testing the service, I didn’t buy any fruit or vegetables in my normal supermarket shop and relied solely on the Abel & Cole delivery for my greens.
There are several key criteria by which I judged the service.
Firstly, and most importantly: is there enough to keep me going for the week?
I try to include a couple of types of veggies in every dinner and two lunches per week when I’m working from home, so it needs to be a pretty sizeable box to satisfy my needs.
Secondly, how does the quality of produce compare to my usual shop? Is the fruit and veg tastier and last as long to justify the price?
As stated, Abel & Cole recommends this small size box for one or two people, so I cooked for myself for five days and then for myself and my girlfriend for the other two days.
Navigate this article
- Quick summary
- Full review
- What recipes can you make with an Abel & Cole box?
- Is Abel & Cole worth it?
- The verdict
- What do you get in an Abel & Cole box?
- Alternatives to Abel & Cole
- How to cancel Abel & Cole
Abel & Cole review: Quick Summary
Save 50% off your first box, and 25% off your next two – use code VEGCROP
Pros
- Very fresh produce
- Good variety of vegetables
- Impressive quantity
- Sustainably sourced and delivered
Cons
- Lack of choice and flexibility
Rating: 4.5/5
Abel & Cole is a sustainable way to shop, delivering fresh, organic produce to your door weekly.
The range caters to different needs and includes boxes with meat, fish or everyday essentials.
I tried the bestselling Small Fruit & Veg Box, which was anything but small and arrived bursting with vibrant, high-quality produce.
Unlike some food subscription services, Abel & Cole doesn’t offer complete meal prep plans, so you’ll need to supplement with pantry staples and get creative with the seasonal ingredients provided.
I used the produce from my Abel & Cole box to create some really tasty dishes — a seasonal soup, tomatoey orzo, and kale pesto pasta to name a few — and I was consistently impressed with the outstanding quality and flavour of the produce.
My box included a few tricky items like beetroot and cooking apples, but weekly subscribers can customise their boxes to avoid unwanted ingredients.
Value-wise, it’s hard to beat, a similar organic haul from my local supermarket cost £3.50 more and wasn’t nearly as fresh or tasty.
Overall I couldn’t recommend the Abel & Cole Small Fruit & Veg Box subscription enough.
It’s tasty, convenient and planet-friendly, and the brand’s customer service stands out.
More meal prep reviews
Abel & Cole full review
Save 50% off your first box, and 25% off your next two – use code VEGCROP
Abel & Cole isn’t exactly a budget fruit & veg delivery. A weekly subscription costs £17.50 plus a delivery charge, so my expectations were high, to say the least.
On arrival, I discovered that my Small Fruit & Veg Box was not that small and it was weighty.
The outer packaging was minimal, just a cardboard box wrapped with string – no tape in sight.
A good start given the brand’s commitment to reusable and eco-friendly packaging, but I was a little disappointed to see one single-use plastic bag within.
Save 50% off your first box, and 25% off your next two – use code VEGCROP
You receive five types of vegetables and two different fruits in every Small Fruit & Veg Box.
Included in mine were some
Staples like tomatoes, onions and broccoli were included in mine alongside some not-so-staple items like beetroot and cooking apples (more on that later).
This looked like a really solid amount of fruit and veg for the week. It all looked organic, too.
Can produce look organic? Who knows, but it looked organic to me.
There were remnants of a wholly ‘unprocessed’ supply process, like dusty soil clinging to the root vegetables.
It all seemed really fresh and high-quality and I couldn’t wait to get cooking.
Save 50% off your first box, and 25% off your next two – use code VEGCROP
Taking inventory, I counted six vine tomatoes, seven carrots, five brown onions, five beetroot, seven small oranges, nine cooking apples, one aubergine, one head of broccoli and a big bag of kale inside.
It’s a solid amount and great variety of produce for a week’s supply, certainly more than I would buy in my usual supermarket shop.
I didn’t tailor my box (which you can if you’re a regular subscriber), but if I did, I would have left out the beetroot and cooking apples.
For me these items are quite tricky to include in your day-to-day and aren’t super versatile.
That aside, I was really impressed with the contents of my Small Fruit & Veg Box and was confident it would keep me going for the week ahead.
What recipes can you make with an Abel & Cole box?
Save 50% off your first box, and 25% off your next two – use code VEGCROP
You don’t get much guidance from Abel & Cole as to dishes to make with the produce they send, so you’re going to need to get creative.
The little guidance they do provide can be found within a small pamphlet found inside the box, as well as on their website, but personally I enjoyed the challenge of thinking of recipes myself.
Faced with a spread of beautiful, vividly coloured vegetables, the first thing that sprung to my mind was soup.
Save 50% off your first box, and 25% off your next two – use code VEGCROP
Each week you should be given enough supply for a mean seasonal soup, but you can always supplement with what’s leftover in the fridge.
In my case, I chopped and roasted carrots, tomatoes, onions and aubergine from my Abel & Cole box, alongside some garlic, feta and potatoes I had leftover from my previous supermarket run.
After an hour of roasting and the addition of parmesan, vege stock and a quick blend, I had a huge tub of soup, enough to keep me going for a few days’ lunches.
Abel & Cole isn’t necessarily meant to be a one-stop shop for your entire grocery needs. It’s simply a sustainable, healthy, convenient way to get your fruit and veg in weekly.
Aside from this soup, the rest of my meals relied more heavily on groceries bought at my local supermarket.
That said, Abel & Cole isn’t necessarily meant to be a one-stop shop for your entire grocery needs.
It’s simply a sustainable, healthy, convenient way to get your fruit and veg in weekly.
For my next meal I made use of the copious amounts of Kale provided by putting together a kale pesto, composed of walnuts (found in the cupboard from months prior), basil, parmesan and olive oil.
Save 50% off your first box, and 25% off your next two – use code VEGCROP
I added this to some orzo I already had in the cupboard and stirred in broccoli from my Abel & Cole box.
I roasted the remainder of the kale for super crunchy crisps (trust me it’s tastier than it sounds) to serve with it.
I was really impressed with the quality of the vegetables from Abel & Cole and felt good knowing I was getting a healthy variety of responsibly sourced greens.
I found it easy to use the rest of the veg throughout the week, I combined the aubergine and tomatoes with my remaining feta and pasta.
My one complaint would be the beetroot and cooking apples I was given.
If you are a subscriber you can log in through the Abel & Cole website to veto any fruit or veg you don’t want to receive.
I’m no baker, so I found the apples difficult to use, and I’ve never cooked with or particularly liked beetroot.
If you are a subscriber you can log in through the Abel & Cole website to veto any fruit or veg you don’t want to receive.
I’d recommend doing this to avoid receiving any tricky-to-use ingredients that might end up in the bin.
Is Abel & Cole worth it?
The Abel & Cole fruit & veg subscription isn’t exactly a budget shop, at £21 per week or £17.50 with a subscription, plus a £3.50 delivery fee – it seems steep at a glance.
However, given the amount of produce you receive in each box, this could compliment a couple’s weekly meal routine well, and at a very reasonable price if you split the cost.
If you split this box with another person, you’d each pay £10.50 per week for a glorious selection of really high quality, seasonal fruit and veg, all sustainably sourced. Safe to say, I’m a big fan.
It was interesting to compare the value of goods I received from Abel & Cole with the prices charged at my local supermarket.
The total for a similar organic selection at the supermarket just surpassed £20, only £1 cheaper than Abel & Cole.
Bearing in mind Abel & Cole will deliver straight to your door and every week select the produce to ensure it’s varied and seasonal, I think it is great value for money.
The verdict
Overall, Abel & Cole really impressed me with their organic, sustainable fruit and vegetable delivery service.
The quantity and variety leave little to be desired and the quality of the produce is top tier; it kept me going for the week and I didn’t need to go to the shops for extra fruit or veg.
However, there are two small caveats… If you don’t enjoy cooking or aren’t confident using less familiar ingredients, I’d steer clear.
On the other hand, if you are a keen cook and happy to use whatever produce is in season, Abel & Cole is an absolute dream.
All of the above, combined with what I discovered to be a humble price tag, Abel & Cole should not be overlooked.
If tempted to try, you can use discount code VEGCROP at checkout for 50% off your first box and 25% off your next two.
What do you get in an Abel & Cole box?
In Abel & Cole’s Small Fruit and Veg Boxes you are guaranteed a selection of five vegetables, and two fruit.
You can check what’s included in your next box on the website, and tailor the contents depending on your preferences.
Abel & Cole also offer other kinds of grocery deliveries – including meat, fish and dairy – with options to shop individual items as well as through premade boxes.
Abel & Cole are dedicated to providing sustainable and organic food, so you can expect any Abel & Cole box to be stuffed full of planet-friendly produce.
Alternatives to Abel & Cole
If you’re looking for something similar at a lower price point, Oddbox is a great alternative, supplying ‘deliciously odd’ fruit and veg boxes to your door, weekly.
For £14.49 you can get a small box delivered each week, plus you can get 50% off now if it’s your first time.
Offering subscriptions as well as more typical online ordering where you can build a basket item by item, Riverford are currently offering free delivery.
You can subscribe to a weekly small Season organic veg box from their website for a reasonable £15.75.
How to cancel Abel & Cole
Cancelling your Abel & Cole subscription is straightforward and can be done online or by contacting their customer service team.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you through it:
- Log in to your account on the Abel & Cole website and use your email and password.
- Go to ‘My Account’ which you’ll find at the top of the page.
- Cancel your subscription by following the cancellation prompts on the ‘manage your deliveries or subscription’ page.
- Confirm your cancellation by checking your email inbox, where you should have a verification email that your subscription has successfully been cancelled.
You can speak directly to Abel & Cole’s customer service team by using the details shared on the website.
Abel & Cole requires a minimum of two days’ notice before your next delivery to successfully cancel before it arrives.
If you’d rather not cancel but instead want to take a break, Abel & Cole can pause your subscription for a set time, giving you the flexibility to manage your subscription as your needs change.
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