Did you know you can rescue food and save money with a wonky veg box? The word ‘wonky’ is a bit of a misnomer here – it really just means fruit and veg that fall short of looking perfect. Yes, even food has beauty standards.
Wonky fruit and veg can also mean surplus, leftover, misshapen, and discoloured – but completely fine to eat. So instead of throwing them out, there are companies that save them and sell them at a reduced rate.
A wonky veg box means you can save money, reduce food waste, and get your five a day. The market for wonky veg boxes in the UK is still growing, so we’ve also included discounted wonky ranges available at supermarkets.
So whether you’re looking for a subscription service to your door or you want to save some £££s at the shop, we’ve got all the info you need.
Look out for our TopCashback hummingbird which we've added next to brands eligible for cashback. This means you can earn a percentage of your purchase through a referral link. It's completely free to join and earn.
Wonky veg box subscription services
Rescuing unwanted (but totally fine) produce means you might have to get a bit creative with your cooking. Unlike your normal fruit and veg purchases, you can’t always plan for what you get. There are currently three wonky veg box subscriptions in the UK, so here’s the rundown of what they offer.
Oddbox is top of the list as one of the most popular wonky veg boxes. As a company that started in London and originally served the South East, they have now spread to other places within the country and plan to continue their reach. They rescue ‘ugly’ and surplus seasonal fruit and vegetables from growers and farmers within the UK and overseas.
How Oddbox works
Oddbox collect produce from farmers that they can’t sell to supermarkets; either there’s too much or they don’t fit the beauty and size standards. This means there’s a different selection of fresh seasonal produce each week, although you have some control over what you’ll get in the boxes that you select.
Deliveries happen overnight to reduce carbon emissions, and the veg boxes are fine to be left outside until you grab them. Each area has a dedicated delivery day once a week.
Subscription boxes are weekly and fortnightly and you can choose to cancel anytime. Payment is taken four days before delivery, so if you’re cancelling, this is the cutoff date.
What you get & what it costs
Fruit boxes start from £13.49, come in one size and contain six types of fruit
Veg boxes start from £11.99 and come in sizes small (2 people), medium (2-3 people) and large (3-4 people)
Fruit & veg boxes start from £11.49 and come in sizes extra-small (1 person), small, medium, and large.
Pros
- Certified B-Corporation
- Reasonably priced
- Free delivery
- Variety of box types and sizes
- You can exclude certain items
- Saving food waste
- Discounts are available for new & returning customers and friend referrals
Cons
- Not yet nationwide - enter your postcode first to check
- Prices based on area and what’s available
- Can’t choose specific items
James from TopCashback is a fan of ordering from Oddbox:
“I've used Oddbox a dozen times and always had a good variety of fresh food. We subscribed to a Large Fruit & Veg box which gives my partner and me a week's worth of meals and snacks. I exclude potatoes, bananas, and 'cabbage group', as those items are low value and might otherwise make up a large proportion of every box.
The box was about £25 and I would say it's not necessarily cheaper than supermarkets. But, surprisingly little of the produce is ‘wonky’. Most of it seems to be surplus or higher-grade stock that supermarkets wouldn't buy, so the quality and freshness is often better than expected. Everything seems to last longer, as it hasn't been sitting in warehouse storage for as long as the produce in supermarkets.
You can pause and cancel your subscription easily, and they often tempt you back with discounts if you cancel for a month or two. Everything is seasonal, so you'll get a glut of whatever is being harvested at that time, and outside of the UK's growing season it trends towards more exotic fruits.”
2. wonkyvegboxes.co.uk
This Midlands-based company buys surplus and unwanted fruit and veg from local farmers then sells and donates it. You’ll get the usual variety of ‘wonky’ fruit and veg, as well as sustainable coffee and add-ons like bread and eggs.
How it works
Wonky Veg Boxes rescue the stuff that farmers grow but isn’t accepted by supermarkets. Whether it’s too much, too big, too small, or too ugly, the stuff sold on to Wonky Veg Boxes is still completely fine. They donate 10%–15% of what they rescue to charities and food banks, then sell the rest in boxes.
There are separate boxes for fruit and veg with different sizes for each depending on your household needs. Subscriptions are on a weekly or fortnightly basis and boxes will be a mix of staple and fresh seasonal produce. You can exclude fruit or veg that you don’t like from your boxes.
You’ll get free delivery within the local zone or pay £3 for Yodel deliveries for other locations within Mainland UK. Local deliveries are on a set day for each area to reduce carbon emissions, and you can hand your box back to the driver for reuse.
Payments are taken on Fridays so if you need to skip a week or cancel for a bit, you’ll need to do it before your next payment.
You can also buy sustainably-sourced and packaged coffee from independent company Mont58 as a standalone item. Bread and eggs can be bought only as add-ons to fruit or veg boxes and are locally sourced. Any leftover bakery waste is turned into beer at a local brewery!
What you get & what it costs
Fruit
Small fruit bag – 3 varieties of fruit from £5.49 for 1-2 people
Medium fruit bag – 4 varieties of fruit from £7.99 for 2-3 people
Large fruit box – 6 varieties of fruit from £8.99 for 4-6 people
Veg
Small veg box – 8 varieties from £10.49 for 1-2 people
Medium veg box – 8 varieties from £11.99 for 2-3 people
Large veg box – 9 varieties from £12.99 for 3-5 people
Basic bags start from £3.60 and contain staples like potatoes, carrots, and onions. This is a good top-up option for large families or soup season.
Bread & egg add-ons
White bread from £1.13
Brown loaves from £1.24
Oaty brown from £1.30
Malted loaves from £1.38
Baps/rolls/batches from £1.34
Tiger loaf £1.14
6 eggs from £1.20
Tray of eggs £6
Coffee
Whole bean or ground coffee bag from independent London roastery Mont58 – £8.95
Cons
- £3 Yodel delivery charge outside local zone
- No fruit & veg box
- Bread & eggs only for local zone
Pros
- Prices start from just £3.60
- They deliver to all areas of the UK
- Free delivery in local zone
- Local deliveries can re-use the boxes
- Add bread, eggs & coffee to your order
- Each order includes a 10%–15% donation to charities and food banks
- Discounts are available for new customers
3. Earth & Wheat
You’ll get rescued fruit, veggies, and bread from this wonky veg company. They donate a meal to UK charity FareShare with every order and offer standalone boxes and subscription boxes with free delivery.
How it works
There are a variety of boxes to choose from that include only bread or a combination of bread and veg. Some boxes are available on a one-off basis and the rest are subscription only.
Wonky veg products include potatoes, red onions, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, chillies, white cabbage, courgette, and corn on the cob.
Rescued bread box contents can include crumpets, wraps, flatbreads, pittas, naan, pancakes and sliced focaccia bread. It can be eaten fresh or frozen for later.
Select your box then choose a frequency of weekly, fortnightly, every three weeks, or monthly.
You can pause or cancel a subscription 48 hours before your renewal date.
What you get & what it costs
Bread boxes
Essentials Wonky Bread Box with 1.5kg of bread products at £8.49 for one-off box or subscriptions starting from £7.99
Variety Wonky Bread Box with 2kg of bread products at £9.49 for one-off box or subscriptions starting from £8.99
Combi boxes
The Variety Bread & Veg Box including 6 types of bread (~2kg) + 10 types of veg (5-6kg) from £22.99
The Essentials Bread & Variety Veg Box: 5 types of bread (~1.5kg) + 10 types of veg (5-6kg) from £21.99
The Variety Bread & Essentials Veg Box including 6 types of bread (~2kg) + 6 types of veg (4-5kg) from £19.99
The Essentials Bread & Veg Box including 5 types of bread (~1.5kg) + 6 types of veg (4-5kg) from £18.99
Pros
- Free delivery
- Large variety of bread products
- Check the upcoming week’s products to plan your meals
- Refer a friend discount
- Donate a meal to UK charity FareShare with every order
Cons
- No fruit boxes
- Can’t exclude items
Supermarket wonky veg boxes & ranges
The wonky food trend is catching on, and now lots of UK supermarkets offer wonky fruit and veg boxes in store. You’ll also find wonky food ranges at a discounted rate for lots of your usual fruit and veg.
Lidl: Too Good To Waste
What is it? The Waste Not Box from Lidl has proven a success since its launch in 2019. It’s available in all stores in England, Scotland, Wales, subject to availability.
How much does it cost? £1.50.
What do you get? ~5kg of fruit and vegetables with minor damage or discolouration.
Sainsbury’s: Taste Me Don’t Waste Me
What is it? A box of surplus and loose products available to buy in store. The initiative launched in 2023 and is available in around 200 stores.
How much does it cost? £2.
What do you get? Loose and surplus items still good on the day.
Morrisons: Naturally Wonky
What is it? Naturally Wonky is a range of fruit & veg at discounted prices both in store and online. We hope to see a return of the £1 Morrisons veg box products, which were launched in 2017 but have been mysteriously absent recently.
How much can you save? Around 20%–40%.
What do they have? A few different types of seasonal fruit & veg, like potatoes, pears, and apples.
Waitrose: A Little Less than Perfect
What is it? Waitrose’s A Little Less Than Perfect range supports British farmers whose produce includes minor flaws.
How much can you save? Around 40%–50%.
What do they have? Seasonal picks of various items, although not many when we looked.
Tesco: Perfectly Imperfect
What is it? Tesco’s range of not-quite-perfect fruit and veg is one of the longest-running out of UK supermarkets. They recently added a range of cold-pressed juices made from wonky products called Waste NOT.
How much can you save? Around 40%–50%.
What do they have? A dozen or so items including frozen berries, carrots, parsnips, and strawberries, although it depends on seasonality.
Aldi & Too Good To Go
Aldi sell leftover items through food waste app Too Good To Go. For just £3.30, you’ll get around £10 worth of meat, dairy, fruit and veg items from across the store. These aren’t technically ‘wonky’, but they are items that would be otherwise thrown away due to their sell-by date, so you’re still rescuing food. Our guide on how the Too Good To Go app works contains all the tips and tricks on rescuing food and saving money.
Veggie verdicts
There are lots of ways to be sustainable and save money, and buying ‘wonky’ or ‘ugly’ food is one of our favourites.
Food that’s too big, too small, the wrong shape, or slightly discoloured is still totally fine to be eaten. You’ll fight food waste and support local farmers who produce surplus stock they can’t usually sell.
So if you love rescuing food and getting a bit creative with recipes, a wonky veg box could be for you.
Have you tried any of the above fruit and veg boxes or supermarket ranges? Let us know what you think in the comments below.