“BeetBox food co-operative started with a simple desire: a few friends wanted access to fresh veg on a weekly basis. Often, the vegetables found pre-packaged in the supermarket have flown from countries across the world. In the UK, only 23% of the fruit and vegetables we consume are produced within the four nations.
“The veg provided by BeetBox comes from Ripple Down Farm, about 8 miles down the road. Ripple Down is a small, organic, 14 acre farm that has been certified organic since 1989. Their ethos champions sustainable growing methods that work in harmony with nature, providing local employment and reducing food miles, amongst other necessary goals.
“Food miles refers to the distance food has to travel in order to reach the consumer, as this can have an environmental impact. For example, on average bananas have to travel around 5,523 miles to reach the UK. This is not to say that local is always best, as often the food we eat may have had to be grown in heated greenhouses which come with their own environmental consequences. Therefore, it is important to eat seasonal and local food that can easily be grown in the UK without harmful environmental impacts.
“BeetBox provides veg bags that are seasonal and usually include 3-4kg of between six to eight different vegetables, with items like potatoes, onions, beetroot and pumpkin. They also often include fresh herbs such as parsley. The group is on campus every Thursday, from 14:00 until 16:00 opposite the Co-Op, where you can place your order for the following week. The veg isn’t packaged in plastic and the bags you receive your goodies can be returned to the stall so they can be reused in future.
“Beetbox has taken a short break in order to make sure that they can make the stall and process of ordering and collecting the veg bags COVID safe, but are hoping to be up and running again by November.
“In your Beetbox order, you might receive vegetables that you wouldn’t usually get in your weekly shop. My first week I received a pumpkin and wasn’t sure what to do with it! After a little bit of googling and searching for inspiration, I ended up making pumpkin soup, roasting chunks of the squash with other veg like sweet potatoes and onions, before finally roasting the seeds on their own to make a tasty snack.
“Similarly, a BeetBox favourite is the chard which is often included in the deliveries so, if you are lucky enough to receive this, why not try sautéing with garlic and chilli for a quick, easy and healthy recipe?
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This article was written by Louise Jones who is studying on the BSc (Hons) in Wildlife Conservation with A Year in Professional Practice.