This winter, I’m testing out a few CSA and produce delivery companies in Auckland.
If you are curious about CSA and like see what other people around the world are getting each week in their boxes, please check out at the weekly link party What’s In The Box over at Heather’s blog In Her Chucks.
The Lowdown
The Honesty Box has a great name and refers to unmanned roadside stalls all over the New Zealand countryside, where you purchase produce by leaving money behind in the honesty box. I don’t know if this is common in other countries but around here, it’s looked upon fondly, though dishonesty is slowly taking over and honesty boxes are less and less common.
With The Honesty Box, the name actually refers to their corporate programme where companies can purchase a box of fruit for the office and employees can buy fruit at work by way of honest box. A healthy alternative to the chocolate bar and chips snack box. The Honesty Box also offer home deliveries which is what we went are testing out. The Honesty Box offer two fruit and vegetable boxes – the small ($37.50) and the large ($50). They also have fruit only or vegetable only boxes.
The Honesty box are based in Point Chev and delivery is free within in Auckland city and central suburbs. Those outside the free zone can still order for an additional fee. Delivery is Monday to Friday during business hours. They can source fair trade bananas but are not an organic supplier.
First impression
We ordered The F&V Small Box and at $37.50 it is one of the more expensive lower tier boxes, though it included delivery for us. The box is compact but super heavy. Almost 11kg! There must be some heavyweights in this one. At $37.50NZ including delivery, this makes it less than $3NZ per kilo. Exceptional value.
I really like the vegetable to fruit ratio and it’s great to receive garlic and herbs. New Zealand garlic can fetch over $20kg and often absent from produce boxes. Since it is winter here, it has been long time since I’ve seen lettuce in a produce box too. Most boxes only do half a pumpkin but we received a whole 2.4kg pumpkin this week.
The size of the produce is bordering on obscene. The golden kumara at 800 grams is the biggest I’ve laid eyes on and the carrots and potatoes at 300 grams a piece are hefty too.
Vegetables 6.7kg
- Beetroot x 3
- Golden kumara x 1
- Pumpkin x 1
- Carrots x 2
- Potatoes x 3
- Fancy lettuce x 1
- Brocolli x 1
- Onions x 2
Pungents
- Herb pouch (rosemary & bay leaves)
- Garlic bulb x 1
Fruit 4.2kg
- Grapes x 500g
- Passionfruit x 4
- Banana x 6
- Kiwifruit x 4
- Mandarin x 10
- Oranges x 5
- Lemon x 1
The most interesting thing in the box
Grapes, passionfruit and the pouch of herbs. The Koala and the rabbit go nuts for grapes. We call them “Nature’s Lollies” so they will be enjoyed this week.
Next time
Nothing to report here, very happy with The Honesty Box. Might ask for no lemons or oranges next time. Our winter lemons are just about ripe now and we aren’t big orange eaters. I should note that this must be the first delivery we have ever had that did not include any apples.
Note: This box was paid for by my hard earned money. This is an honest review, not an advertisement.
Bunny Eats Design 
I’m not a super fan of grapes unless they’re squeezed into a glass but I was at a restaurant where an interesting item came with the bill. It was a reddish orb on a toothpick. When we bit in, it was a frozen grape and I have to say, this has won me over to eating grapes. Delish. BTW, what is a kumara? I’m envious of your down under fruits.
Just a regular frozen grape? Sounds like a nice palate cleaner. I guess it would be a little like a sorbet or tiny iceblock. A kumara is a Maori sweet potato. We use it as a vegetable like you might for a potato, carrot or pumpkin (but not like pumpkin pie or sweet potato pie).
Woah! This sounds like an awesome box. Much more variety than what we’ve been getting (although it is warming up now, so more variety is expected. I might have to give The Honesty Box a try, this week, thanks Genie x
Hi Meagan, I know I keep saying this but this is my favourite company so far. It’s funny how they keep getting better!
What a lovely box of fruits and veg, you must have been over the top happy to get them. The first time I’ve ever seen honesty boxes were on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, the far western side of Canada; pottery artists left their art on a covered table at the end of the drive-way and if you found something you love, you just leave the money in the box. The other time I’ve seen it is in Price Edward Island on the far east side of Canada; I have not seen them in Ontario.
Dustie used to love grapes too, but I had to cut them in half because her mouth wasn’t big enough to get around it to bite into. It was quite funny watching her try, frustrated. But once I cut it in half, she just gobbled them up, their juices flowing freely down the sides of her mouth. Be careful though because she almost choked on the skin, so I also ended up skinning the grapes for her.
all i could do was nom nom nom veddy nice!!
I’m really loving the light in your photos!
Gosh, your blog is beautiful…x
What a haul! Grapes, bananas, beets…I would be in heaven 🙂
Thanks for sharing and linking up!
Sounds like a winner! So better than Foodbox then?
They are both good 🙂