Riverford Organic Farmers recipe box review

Read about how to sign up for the Riverford Organic Farmers recipe box

What is Riverford Organic Farmers?

Riverford is a Devon-based organic food delivery service best known for supplying fruit, veg, dairy and meat to homes around the country. Its extensive list of fresh delivery options includes the organic recipe box, which we tested out. Our box featured two recipes: pancakes with whipped ricotta & spinach and Vietnamese ginger & sweet potato stew.

Riverford Organic recipe boxes

The Riverford organic recipe selection features an enticing mixture of cuisines, with richer and lighter options to choose from. Each week, there are 12 very different recipes to choose from (the dishes on offer change weekly). Even though there are 3-4 meat options, the focus is very much on seasonal veg, which we enjoyed. However, the options are slightly more limited than other boxes on offer and there was only one batch recipe serving 4 the week we ordered.

Are there special diet options?

There's a good selection of vegetarian, plant-based and meaty options. However, there aren't any recipe boxes specifically tailored to those with a gluten or dairy intolerance. It’s difficult to work out if any of the available menu options are suitable for people with these intolerances at a glance without reading through the ingredients lists of each recipe. They do however tag up helpful info such as 'lower calorie', 'seasonal stars', 'quick' and 'batch'.

Can you customise recipes?

No. The boxes feature everything you'll need to follow the recipe (excluding seasoning and cooking oil) and everything is exactly weighed out or portioned. This helps you to easily follow the recipe, but it does mean that deviating from the set steps doesn’t feel encouraged.

How many recipes do you get in one delivery?

We sampled two recipes, but you can order as many as you’d like. Each recipe serves two people, with some recipes tagged as 'batch' serving four.

What are your first impressions of the box?

I liked the box a lot – it felt simple and wholesome and had lovely food-related illustrations printed on it. Once unpacked, I was left with two smaller recipe boxes, which you can slot into the fridge as a whole or break down into individual ingredients which are easier to store.

What's in the box?

The box includes a corresponding recipe leaflet with cooking instructions, nutritional info and allergy details and a set of ingredients for each recipe. The veg was loose and there were a few small pots for herbs/spices. There's a packaging guide on the website that tells you how to recycle each component.

What's the quality of the ingredients like?

The ingredients seemed to be of high quality. There were good-quality brown rice noodles, fresh veg and herbs in good condition and organic pots of honey.

Are refrigerated ingredients kept sufficiently chilled in the packaging?

Yes. My box had been delivered a couple of hours before I got home and all the chilled goods were still freezing cold when I unpacked the box.

What are the delivery options?

When picking your boxes, you’re asked to choose a safe place for the package to be left if no one's home, which I thought was a nice, helpful touch.

To save on food miles, Riverford only delivers once a week to each area. I appreciated the ethics behind this, but it could be an inconvenience to some people with limited time on their hands.

Can you customise delivery options?

No, you can’t customise your delivery options. I had to have my box delivered on a Tuesday as that's the only day Riverford delivers in my area and you're unable to select a time slot.

Are the boxes available nationwide?

Riverford delivers to most of England and south Wales but you can get in touch or use the postcode map on their website to see if they deliver to your area specifically.

How much packaging is there?

A fair amount of cardboard is used and a little plastic, too, but there was nothing to excess. The fruit and veg were stored loose in the box, but the spices had the most packaging around them in relation to their size. The packaging is recyclable, however, and you can return any of the packaging to Riverford to be recycled or reused which I think is an innovative policy and great for repeat customers.

Does it offer good value for money?

It’s not the cheapest recipe box on the market but you're really paying for the quality of the ingredients. Owing to the top-quality ingredients, simple recipes and delicious final dishes, I’d say the box is good value.

What are the recipes like?

The recipe cards were incredibly easy to follow and the dishes roughly matched the estimated timings. I didn't use a huge amount of pots and pans making the recipes and no special equipment was needed.

Is there any food waste?

I had absolutely no food waste at all. Every scrap was used.

What are the finished recipes like?

Both the dishes we tried were flavourful and well balanced. We only made minor adjustments to things like seasoning with salt and pepper or adding more herbs here and there. I liked the fact that they were all packed with fresh vegetables, which made the meals feel filling and nourishing.

How many people does it serve?

Each recipe serves two people. One of the recipes was perfect in terms of portion size. The second, however, (whipped ricotta & spinach pancakes) was a really large portion and very rich. It could have easily served three.

What utensils did you need to use to make the recipes?

Very basic utensils – pots, pans, chopping boards, grater, knives and a colander. I felt some of the steps could have used the same pan for ease and less washing up and potentially could have been re-ordered so that e.g. all your chopping was done at once. There are options for extra steps if you have time, e.g. toasting nuts before adding.

Who would Riverford organic boxes be most useful for?

Foodies who have firm beliefs in organic produce and want a quick and tasty weeknight dinner, with no ingredients wasted.

What’s your favourite thing about Riverford Organic Farmers?

My favourite thing about the product is the quality of ingredients used and the recipes themselves. I was really impressed by the fresh produce and I was also really happy with the storecupboard ingredients. They were interesting dishes you wouldn't typically cook every week and were surprisingly simple and quick to make.

What are the subscription terms?

You can set up regular orders or book a one-off order, whichever you prefer.

Overall star ratings

Ease of cooking 4/5
Quality of the finished recipes 4/5
Delivery options 2.5/5
Packaging 3.5/5
Quality of ingredients 4.5/5
Value for money 3.5/5

Discover how to sign up for the Riverford Organic Farmers recipe box

This review was last updated in March 2022. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews, or spot anything that has changed in price or availability, please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.