BOXING CLEVER OVER FOOD

24-08-2007

The Stirrer's good food trufflehound Barbara Panvel explores more ways to ensure quality ingredients in your kitchen. This week, organic veg boxes.

Some people are growing fresh food in their garden or allotmentand others are gettinglocally grownfruit and vegetables by joining a box scheme.

Boxes of fresh organic vegetablesare delivered to their door by farmers or groups of growers, such as Flights Orchard Organics, which has over 2000 customers in the West Midlands.

"When the box arrives she thinks Christmas has come!" saidone partnerwhenasked for feedback.

John Davenport of Flights Farm in Little Marcle near Ledbury set up the company with Mike Hamilton some years ago, working with a group of local growers from Herefordshire and Worcestershire who provide some of the 80 vegetable varieties for the boxes.

Each grower has a planting schedule with Flights Orchard Organics in order to provide the customer with good quality, organically grown, seasonal vegetables and fruit.

Flights Orchard Organics pay the farmers a fair price for their produceandoffer a fair price to their customers.

The boxes are delivered fortnightly all over the West Midlands, to Birmingham, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire.

A warm recommendation comes from one of their customers, Hazel Clawley of Small Heath, who says that the boxes are excellent and well-presented, with helpful recipe leaflets.

Somewho want to look around and buythe varying quantities they need - more if catering for visitors, less if eating out - can visit farmers' markets or go to places like Sage Wholefoods in Moseley.

Next week a visit will be paid to the fruit and vegetable stall at the Kitchen Garden in Kings Heath.

Contact Flights at www.flightsorchardorganics.co.uk

Do you have a veg box delivery? Who would you recommend? Leave a comment on our Message Board.