Abel & Cole review

Organic veg plus a full organic grocery shop

8/10

Our verdict

Organic veg plus a full organic grocery shop in one delivery, with a small delivery fee narrowing its price edge over Riverford.

Get the deal - Up to 60% off your first 2 boxes
Cheapest box £14.50
One-off (no subscription) Yes
Delivery Most of mainland UK on a fixed day per area; £3.50 delivery with a small minimum order
Current offer Up to 60% off your first 2 boxes

What we liked

  • Certified organic across the range
  • The widest organic grocery add-on shop of the three
  • Strong plastic-free, returnable-packaging programme
  • Low entry box price and flexible skip or swap

What could be better

  • £3.50 delivery charge plus a minimum order
  • Fixed delivery day - no choice of day
  • Organic premium; the large box is the priciest single box of the three

Packaging & ethics

  • Certified B Corp
  • Recyclable packaging
  • Plastic-free / returnable

Packaging: Club Zero returnable and refillable packaging; strong plastic-free focus.

Sourcing: Soil Association certified organic.

Abel & Cole is a long-established organic veg-box and grocery service, founded in London in 1988 and a B Corp since 2018. Like Riverford it is fully certified organic, and its real strength is the breadth of the wider organic shop - meat, dairy, fish, bakery and pantry items you can add to a box.

Fruit-and-veg boxes start at £14.50, but unlike Riverford there is a £3.50 delivery charge and a small minimum order, and your delivery day is fixed by your address. Boxes are flexible - you can skip weeks and swap contents up to a couple of days before delivery.

It is the pick for households that want to do a fuller organic shop in one delivery, with a strong focus on reusable, plastic-free packaging.

Our hands-on notes: [To add - first-hand experience: portion sizes, how it cooked/tasted, packaging, and whether we would reorder.]

Refer-a-friend

Refer a friend: you both get £10 off.

Frequently asked questions

Is Abel & Cole cheaper than Riverford?

Its entry box is a little cheaper, but Abel & Cole charges £3.50 for delivery where Riverford is free, which narrows or reverses the difference depending on box size.

Can you add groceries to an Abel & Cole box?

Yes - it has the widest organic grocery add-on range of the main veg-box services, covering meat, dairy, fish, bakery and pantry items.