A new veg box delivery service is gearing up to sell misshapen and odd-looking produce as part of a move to reduce food waste.
Wonky Vegetables will begin to post out crates containing essentials including potatoes, parsnips, carrots and onions across Leicester at the end of the March.
Formed last month, the business is the brainchild of accountant Sam Barkshire and digital marketing specialist Matt Hewett, who believe farmers have too much produce rejected by retailers for simply being ‘ugly’.
“A more sustainable food system starts with the amount that is going to waste,” Hewitt told The Grocer. “Ideally, what we want to do is create a more efficient system throughout.”
The service claims to be up to 57% cheaper than similar crate delivery schemes, with weekly prices starting from £5/4kg box for one to two people, £6/6kg for two to three people and £8/8kg for three to eight people, plus £3.99 to cover shipping and handling.
Each box will provide two or three staples and three to five seasonal items, with the start-up ordering 15% to 20% more produce than required to counteract any items damaged in transit or when picked.
Inedible items will be composted but those suitable for human consumption will be delivered to local food banks and soup kitchens.
No comments yet