There is something idyllic about receiving a box of fresh fruit and vegetables, free from plastic wrapping (unless necessary), with an earthy scent and vibrant colours. When I signed up for Oddbox, that is precisely what I got.
What is Oddbox?
Oddbox is a food delivery service that reduces waste by selling surplus or oddly shaped fruit and vegetables by the box. While their 'Oddboxes' are their main offering, they also have an online marketplace for rice, grains, cereals, tins, jars, and more.
The founders, Emilie and Deepak, said their mission to combat food waste began with a single tomato. They explained: "Back in 2016, we tasted an ugly-but-delicious tomato in a market in Portugal. We realised we only ever saw perfect fruit and veg on the shelves… so we decided to dig deeper into how the food system works. The more we learned, the stranger it seemed. Farmers grow delicious fruit and veg… then it gets rejected for being wonky. We fly food halfway around the world… then wonder why it tastes of nothing. We treat recipes like rulebooks… then wonder why we’re wasting food at home. None of it made sense to us – so we decided to flip the system on its head."
When I spotted a half-price deal on my first Oddbox, I decided to give it a try.
Was Signing Up and Ordering Easy?
As with most companies now, signing up was very straightforward. However, you need to understand a few aspects. First, choose your box type: a fruit and veg mix, just veg, or a 'fruit booster'. I opted for the fruit and veg box, which offers up to nine varieties of vegetables and four varieties of fruit in each box.
Then, you must select the size: extra small (recommended for one person), small (recommended for two), medium (recommended for two to three), and large (recommended for three to four people). This depends on your household size, cooking time, and budget. For my first order, with three adults, a teen, and a child at home, I ordered a large box.
Once chosen, you can make swaps. For instance, if you already have onions, you can swap them if they are expected in the delivery. If you dislike pears, you can swap them for bananas. You can also add items from the Oddbox market. I kept it simple, though I was tempted by their giant couscous.
How Much Was It, and Do You Pay for Delivery?
Pricing for a mixed fruit and veg box starts at around £11.99 and goes up to £23.99 for a large box. I had a voucher, so I paid around £11.99 for my first large box. You also have to pay a delivery fee of £1.99 on top of this, making my first order £13.98.
One thing that surprised me was that they deliver overnight. In the small hours of a Wednesday morning, they quietly left a box of fruits and vegetables by my door. While I thought it was odd at first, there was something nostalgic and wholesome about opening the door to the healthy bundle—much like when milk deliveries were more common.
What Was the Quality and Variety Like?
I did not make any swaps or look ahead at what I would get, so it was exciting unboxing my first order. I was very surprised by the contents—I even had to Google one vegetable, as I had never heard of kohlrabi before. My bad, as this fresh-tasting root vegetable was excellent in our homemade coleslaw.
The quality was amazing; everything was super fresh and appetising. The contents of my large fruit and veg Oddbox included: two kohlrabi, eight vine tomatoes, a pack of chestnut mushrooms, eight red onions, five huge baking potatoes, one romaine lettuce, one cabbage, nine leeks, one broccoli, one melon, one coconut, six apples (one with a cut), and nine kiwis.
Can You Use Up All the Veg?
Seeing all the beautiful, fresh food, knowing I had saved them from being wasted, made me feel very pleased, and it spurred me on to use them as best I could. We were successful, but you really have to think about how to use each item with what you already have in your cupboard and fridge—which is no bad thing, as we should be doing this anyway.
With the box came a leaflet with a recipe for coleslaw using kohlrabi, red onions, and cabbage. My husband made this, and it was far superior to anything I have bought from a shop; it was fresh and peppery without being overly creamy. I ate it with everything, even simply with chips.
I made a warming vegetable stew for a filling meal, using up the potatoes and other vegetables I had at home. We cut the broccoli into florets and froze them for a future meal, which we later used and it was perfect. The leeks went into a deliciously creamy orzo dish, while we had sides of mushrooms and salad for quick, easy meals. Fruit was used for snacking; my teenager loves kiwis, so into the packed lunch they went.
When I got a second box, I made minestrone soup, mac and cheese with hidden vegetables, and I could not wait for more of that coleslaw. Unfortunately, we did not cut the melon for a while, and it was not at its best when we got to it, but other than that, we used up the entire box without issue.
Verdict: Is It Worth It?
I love the ethos behind Oddbox, and I enjoyed the random aspect of not knowing what each box would contain (although I did make swaps in future boxes). I loved trying new foods and recipes, and the added benefit of fighting food waste and eating healthy, home-prepared food made it feel like a win-win.
However, I think it is expensive. You could get many of the fruit and vegetables much cheaper elsewhere, and I know that is not the issue Oddbox is here to tackle, but for families watching their budget, it may not be the right choice.
I have no issue with the ease of ordering, quality of food, or delivery. I did order a few more times, then reduced the box size before stopping. What is nice is that you can take a break—say you know you will be busy one week or going on holiday—and then jump right back in.
This is a box for people who cook a lot, and I think I will probably order again in the future, perhaps when I have a week when I know I will cook every night.
