I’ve recently had the pleasure of trying out the Riverford fruit, veg and meat box as well as the newer recipe boxes.

The recipe boxes contain every ingredient, pre measured to create perfectly delicious and healthy meals at home – they are ideal for people who are looking to enhance their cooking skills or just people who have busy lifestyles. We reviewed the original 3 meal recipe box which is created to serve two people but the serving sizes are incredibly generous so you could easily share between a small family or have leftovers the following day.

The Recipe Box:

Pollock with spicy saffron potatoes:

I rarely cook fish or choose it at a restaurant as I am just not that into it. This pollock however was meaty and mild and enhanced by the lemon and butter – it was sensational. Served with spiced saffron potatoes, fennel and a garlic aioli, it was truly one of the nicest dishes I’ve cooked in a while.

Honey & Sesame Chicken With Teriyaki Spring Noodles:

Packed full of flavour and zing from the ginger and chilli, this dish makes you feel good about yourself! Its the first time I have used Kohlrabi and it was a nice discovery. Served with Udon Noodles it was a filling meal and again easily served three with some leftovers.

Courgette & Tomato Gratin With Bay & Garlic Beans:

I made this gratin the night before I wanted to eat it as I knew I had a busy day at work the following day, like lasagne I believe the flavour was probably enhanced by leaving it overnight. I didn’t serve the recommended side dish due to time constraints but I am definitely going to try it sometime as it sounds delicious.

Overall thoughts:

Impressed. The meals were considered and nutritionally balanced. I particularly like the cook’s notes at the beginning of each recipe. Having never cooked pollock before it was useful to have tips on how to get the perfect crispy skin. I would certainly consider ordering these boxes in the future when I know I have a busy week ahead. It would also be a really useful gift for someone following a new baby arrival, full of the goodness you need and simple to follow. Oh and the labels even tell you where and when the fish was caught and the name of the person who caught it – pretty cool huh? The chilled goods are insulated with sheep’s wool which you return to the driver on your next delivery.

The Fruit, Veg & Meat Box:

The fruit and veg boxes are where Riverford began and they do it well. Lots of choices available for you to pick on the site from small boxes starting at £10.35 for 6 varieties including 4 seasonal options and 2 staple veggies leading gradually up to the large fruit, veg and meat boxes at £50.10. The medium fruit, veg and meat box I received contained 6 organic veggies ( not potatoes ), 3 fruit varieties and 3 cuts of organic meat cuts. I had bananas ( fair trade ), wet garlic, bunched carrots, courgettes, avocados, blueberries and apples as well as cooking spinach, tomatoes and green beans I can’t recall – sorry. The meat cuts were a pork joint, lamb steaks and diced beef. All meat is free range and all produce organic.

It was such a lovely box of goodies and kickstarted a healthy week of good food and snack choices. I hadn’t tried wet garlic before although I had heard lots of good things – its garlic picked a little earlier than typical garlic bulbs, it has a milder taste and the bulbs don’t require peeling as the skin is so soft.

Overall thoughts:

I am considering setting up a regular order for these fruit, veg and meat boxes. The quality of the produce and meat is exceptional, far superior to any of the local supermarkets and I enjoyed having items I may not have typically chosen.

To finish off I want to share a little info about Riverford as a brand:

The Riverford box scheme began when Guy Watson started delivering vegetables locally to 30 friends in Devon. They now deliver around 47,000 boxes a week to homes around the UK from our regional farm – how’s that for expansion?

• I received these boxes for the purpose of a review.