On the hunt for alternative places to buy your groceries? Read on for the best food delivery services in town, from a specialised cheese delivery service to a one-stop shop for Mexican goods.
The Best Food Delivery Services
Abel & Cole
You’ll never have to brave the early-morning fresh fruit & veg markets again thanks to Abel & Cole, the organic food delivery service that takes its contents seriously – only delivering seasonal, ethical and organic items that they have carefully sourced from hard-working small producers. But it’s not all about the vegetables: Abel & Cole’s offering is vast, covering meat and fish, baked goods, pantry items, drinks and more.
In 2010, farmers James Flower and James Mansfield set out to change the way we eat meat by launching field&flower, a service which delivers grass-fed beef direct to people’s homes. Ten years on, the brand’s core values surrounding animal welfare and sustainability are more important than ever. All meat is sourced by founder and fifth-generation farmer James Flower, hand-butchered and packed by the field&flower team. Alongside meat boxes, you can order fish, cheese, and products from the deli.
The renowned London bakery famous for its mouth-watering doughnuts now has its own online delivery service, full of baking essentials and tasty treats. Available for London residents, the service includes a selection of different kits including The Essentials Box: a bread lover’s dream containing sourdough loaves, brioche rolls, croissants and a pack of flour. Only have eyes for sourdough? Opt for the Sourdough Selection, which features a whole five fresh sourdough loaves. If you fancy baking your own bread, meanwhile, The Baker’s Kit will set you in good stead, with three different types of flour and fresh yeast.
Wild food sibling trio and restauranteurs The Gladwin Brothers now run an online shop, selling produce sourced directly from their family farm in Sussex. Get your vegetable fix with the Farm-Fresh Veggie Box (£25), stock up on herbs with the Herb Bunch (£7.50), or choose from a selection of cuts of high-quality meat. You can also order bottles of wine from their Nutbourne vineyard.
Delivery includes postcodes across North, South and West London and any postcode within a 10 mile radius of the Nutbourne Vineyards. gladwinbrothers.com
The Cheese Geek
Cheese goes hi-tech with this modern subscription service, which offers hand-picked, top quality dairy direct to your doorstep. Download the app to explore the many different boxes on offer – and join its cheese loyalty scheme, which sees users being rewarded for their purchases: a cheese lover’s dream.
Set across 300 acres of parkland with its own apple orchard and cider mill, The Newt in Somerset is a haven for seasonal homegrown produce. So, when lockdown was announced, hotel staff decided to turn all attention towards creating a home delivery service to make the most of the estate’s bountiful fresh produce. This includes vegetables from the gardens, freshly baked goods from the bakery, high-welfare meat from the family-run farm of The Newt’s butcher, cheeses from the cheesery, and a selection of small-batch, artisan ciders.
Wild by Tart’s Lucy Carr-Ellison and Jemima Jones now run an online retail store alongside their restaurant. The Wild Store offers everything from pantry items to wine to gift food hampers, alongside Tart’s own range of homeware, crockery and glassware.
There’s much more to Mexican food than burritos and quesadillas, which is why Katya Torres de la Rocha set up authentic food retailer MexGrocer. Used by chefs and restaurants across the UK including Annabel’s, Wahaca and Santo Remedio, MexGrocer exclusively sources quality food and drink from independent farmers and producers across Mexico. ‘Our mission is simple: the product you receive and enjoy helps support every person that put it into your hands,’ says Katya. ‘From the small-scale farmer who gets a fair price for his corn, to the company that mill and package it. We believe this sustainable model will ensure the continuation of our ancient practices of Mexican gastronomy, ensuring our culture is not lost and giving the person purchasing our product a true example of what Mexico has to offer.’
To make it all easier to navigate, the retailer has launched Best of MexGrocer kits for delivery (£49.90). Inside you’ll find a selection of key ingredients such as chickpea flours, maize, hot sauce, and tajin lime and chilli seasoning – plus easy to follow recipes online.
Live in the city but craving fresh country produce? Sustainable food delivery service Crate to Plate is your new best friend. The London-based urban farming business uses state-of-the-art hydroponic technology and eco-friendly innovation to bring locally produced greens to your home, with everything harvested shortly before being delivered to your door. There are a number of boxes to choose from, containing ingredients like lettuce, rocket, kale and herbs – depending on what’s ready for harvest to guarantee the freshest possible greens.
If you’re after some seriously stylish canapés, Pocket Rocket should be your go-to. The London-based company has catered for some of the world’s leading fashion houses, alongside prestigious venues like the V&A and Donmar Warehouse, plus A-listers and royals. Its new service, Pocket Rocket, sees its signature canapés in a box-sized format, ideal for an event where you don’t need full-on catering, but need a few tasty nibbles. The boxes can be delivered directly to homes or offices, in trays which can also be used for serving – minimum effort, maximum effect. Hosting a Christmas event? The Burlington Box is your best bet, featuring everything from duck rilettes to beef wellington and mince pies.
