Saturday 25 February 2012

The Hungry Gap

The period right at the end of Winter when most of the hardy vegetables have been consumed, and before any of the Spring vegetables are ready is often referred to as "The Hungry Gap". Before the days of international air-freight this used to be a time when fresh vegetables were scarce. If we were relying on my garden as a source of fresh veg right now we would definitely be hungry.

Fortunately Jane has won a prize which convincingly closes the Hungry Gap for us (Brilliant timing, Jane!).


The prize is a large box of fresh vegetables every week for three months, delivered by Abel and Cole.

We are on our third week now and have been really impressed with the arrangement. Abel and Cole have been very efficient with their administration; their delivery drivers are prompt and courteous; and above all else the vegetables are excellent. The box always includes the three staples of potatoes, onions and carrots, but the other contents very according to what is in season and/or what is available (not all the items are locally-grown). The contents of each week's box is published on the Abel and Cole website, and you then have 48 hours to indicate whether there is anything you don't like/want, and arrange a substitution. (They even send you an email to remind you to do this!) You can also indicate any veg that you never want, and any veg that you particularly like (which is borne in mind when substituitions are made).

If you were to buy these boxes they would cost you £18.50 each, which includes delivery. Naturally there are several different sizes available, at different prices. The Large one is supposed to feed 4 people for a week, though I think if they were four people like Jane and me, then the box might perhaps be a little on the skimpy side. The quality and freshness of the vegetables though is first class.


There are some other aspects of Abel and Cole's service that we also like. For instance the smaller, more delicate veg are supplied in recycleable/compostable carboard containers (hooray, no plastic!), and the big cardboard box in which everything is delivered is easily folded up for storage until the following week, when the delivery driver will take it away for re-use.

Although it is unlikely, simply because we have a lot of home-grown veg, that this prize will convince us to purchase a regular weekly veg-box, I think we might be very tempted to have three months' supply every year to fill the Hungry Gap, and I have no hesitation in recommending the service to anyone who does not grow their own. 

Thank You, Abel and Cole, for a really lovely prize!

18 comments:

  1. What a fabulous prize, and it's come just at the right time. Nice to see companies taking some responsibility and reusing packaging where they can.

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  2. Wow! What a wonderful prize! I'd be absolutely thrilled with a prize like that. Though there isn't such a lovely prize to be won in my area, I think I shall begin paying a little more attention to contests from now on.

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  3. Nice. I've looked into Abel and Cole before - looks like they provide a great service, and I could certainly do with some more veg in my kitchen right now! I love the idea of the foldaway reusable boxes - if only more companies did that!

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  4. The prize looks wonderful. I keep thinking soon I have to buy more veggies at the store. I'm not running out yet, but the variety is really going down.

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  5. Like you I am running out of home grown at an alarming rate - their veg looks really good but I'm not sure I would use it all in between deliveries.

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  6. That is such a neat prize! I would love to have something like that even though I am so many vegetables stored now that I actually passed right through the produce section this week. I have cabbage, spinach and broccoli that I need to pick but I am afraid to until we really need it.

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  7. Lovely prize Jane, it looks really good stuff. Had a quick look at the abel and Cole's website they have a good selection. Like the recyclable containers to much food comes packed in plastic these days.

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  8. Great prize and the veg do look good. Hanging on to the last veg up at the shared plot, a few parsnips, brussels and cabbage left.

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  9. The vegetables all look so fresh, particularly the fennel, artichokes and the cabbages. What a wonderful prize to win!

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  10. I used Abel & Cole when I was in London, (and was considerably more cash rich than I am now). I used to get a veg box plus a fruit box and a weekly order of fish and chicken. I absolutely loved their service and the quality of their product as well as the recipe sheets they sent with orders. I used to look forward to the weekly check on the website to see what was in that weeks box.

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  11. What a great prize! I've looked at the Abel and Cole website a few times in the past but have never indulged. It has come to you at a great itme of the year, enjoy!

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  12. Hi Mark and well done Jane! A lovely prize and a very timely post as I was just looking into Abel and Cole this week. I was impressed that you can get a free cookbook and a free fourth delivery so I was just about to sign up, then had a wobble, but now that I've seen your photo and positive words I will give it a go. I think it has to mean that we'll eat more veg as a family and that's never a bad thing. I like the term "The Hungry Gap" and I think it has now been well filled!

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  13. It is just making my mouth water looking at it. We love veg in our house and the variety in the boxes looks exciting.

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  14. What a great prize - are you entering my competition?

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  15. What a lovely prize and excellent timing. Now is a time of being deep into the vegetable storage, and while I still have some left, if I depended on it for survival things would be dire. Gives me more respect for the effort of early (and current) homesteaders who were self sufficient either through striving or necessity.

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  16. That's a superb prize and the veg looks gorgeous. Congrats and well done Jane!

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  17. that's a brilliant prize, congratulations! I get what you mean by the hungry gap. I was working at the farmer's market on saturday and was writing up the blackboard for "at its best now" and the only thing that I could think of was purple sprouting broccoli. everythign else is either on its way out or not here yet.

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  18. Wow! What a fantastic prize!

    The veg looks like a fantastic quality too!

    Martin

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