Click here for a comprehensive nationwide list of organic box schemes

There are now as many organic box delivery schemes (550) as there are farmers' markets in Britain. Sales of organic produce via box and mail-order schemes more than doubled last year to 400,000 according to the Soil Association.

A weekly box of fresh fruit and vegetables is delivered direct to your door, your office or to a local collection point such as a health store or a school. Boxes contain a range of produce, which varies each week and according to season.

Some include meat, wine and whole foods and most offer organic produce. Prices vary but typical costs range from £15 to £20 per box. You can set up a standing order or pay a lump sum in advance and cancel deliveries during the holidays. You can also give instructions about good places to hide your box to make sure it’s still there when you get home.

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Produce is sourced locally, keeping unnecessary packaging, storage and transportation to a minimum, and most is farmed organically – without the use of synthetic fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides – making the process kinder to the environment and, arguably, better for our health.

These schemes provide a fairer deal to farmers than supermarkets and plough money back into local economies. By shortening the supply chain, they also provide customers with greater confidence about where their food has come from and how it has been grown. So if you want to shop ethically but don’t have time to trek to a farmer’s market, this is a wonderfully convenient alternative. We list 35 of the best.

LONDON

Abel & Cole
Delivering organic food and drink across southern England including organic fruit and vegetables, Abel & Cole offers organic meats, sustainably caught fish, dairy and freshly baked bread. It works with a network of more than 50 British producers to bring local, seasonal and organic food fresh from the grower.
16 Waterside Way, Plough Lane, Wimbledon, London, SW19 (0845 262 6262, www.abel-cole.co.uk)

Bumblebee
This outfit makes deliveries from London, Oxford and Greater London of small, medium or large bags of organic fruit and vegetables priced from £8.95 to £19.95. Every bag contains potatoes, carrots, onions, salad and a seasonal selection of organic produce. Delivery is included in the price of the bag.
30 Brecknock Road, London N7 (0207 607 1936, www.bumblebee.co.uk)

Growing Communities, Hackney, London is a social enterprise run by local people in Hackney, East London. It provides a weekly selection of seasonal organic produce sourced as locally as possible. It’s a collection-only scheme from five pick-up points across Hackney. (020–7502 7588; www.btinternet.com/~grow.communities)

Organic Delivery Company
Organic fresh fruits, juices, nuts, chocolate, and plenty more. Deliveries to the kitchen table or workplace. They also offer Fair Trade organic gift hampers, made to order. Organic Delivery pride themselves on the quality of their produce and their commitment to food miles. Winner of the 2007 Small Retailer Online Green Award.
Unit A59, New Covent Garden Market, London SW8 5EE (020 7739 8181; www.organicdelivery.co.uk)

SOUTH

OrgaNick
This Hampshire-based organic farm sells a range of produce through a farm shop, local farmers’ markets and a box scheme. Organic milk, cheese, preserves and drinks are sourced locally. Vegetables for home delivery are often picked and packaged on the same day.
Wylds Farm, Warren Road, LIss, Hants (01730 891490, www.organick.org.uk)

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