About us
Our wonky world
Chances are that if you’ve found your way on to this website you’ve got a vague idea of what we do.
You will, of course, be aware of the 1.3 billion tonnes of food that goes to waste every year. You might know that up to 40% of a crop of vegetables can be disregarded because it does not meet the aesthetic requirements of supermarkets. You probably know that we’re hoping to reduce this figure by bringing these Wonky vegetables straight to your door, every week.
But do you know how this all started? What are we aiming to accomplish? All good questions, you inquisitive internet adventurer. Read on.
Wonky history
Strict aesthetic standards of fruit and vegetables, governed by EU law, were in place up until 2009. Since then the standards have been largely upheld by supermarkets. Wanting our food to look good can be seen as an inherent part of the fruit and vegetable industry however the more cynical among us could also suggest that demanding beautiful produce gives supermarkets more buying power over their suppliers.
Many supermarkets have now reduced their aesthetic standards slightly to allow for a wider array of vegetables to be sold. French Supermarket, Intermarché launched a campaign highlighting ‘Inglorious’ fruit and veg in early 2014. Intermarché sold 1.2 tonnes of ‘ugly’ veg per store within the first two days. Pretty impressive. Several UK supermarkets are now also trailing Wonky vegetables.
50% of all food waste occurs in the home!
Our end goal is not just to sell a lot of Wonky veg but to normalise the purchase and consumption of Wonky vegetables. We feel we should aim for a system in which vegetables are graded only by whether they are fit for human consumption or not. We do not believe that zero waste is an achievable target as a small percentage of waste within the system is inevitable. Therefore we aim to create the most efficient system possible.
50% of all food waste occurs in the home. We offer a vegetable box as this gives you a consistent amount of seasonal vegetables delivered to your door every week. Maintaining this consistency is important for farmers to plan harvests and for our purchasing to be as accurate as possible so as to avoid ordering large amounts of surplus stock. It also means you know exactly how much you have to eat each week and won’t be swayed or influenced by multiple purchase offers.
We understand that we will have to order a surplus to accommodate for a percentage of the veg that will become damaged in transit. This is why we have the charitable donation. Purchasing around 15-20% more than we need and delivering any surplus to charity reduces the amount of waste we create as a business, helps feed the hungry and also maintains the quantities of vegetables we promised to you lovely people.
Why Buy Wonky?
Why Buy Wonky?
Some farmers in the UK have up to 10 tonnes of produce rejected on a weekly basis, solely for the reason that this produce is “ugly.” This means farmers have to constantly over-produce in order to meet these targets. This unwanted produce ends up wasted either in landfill, as animal feed or ploughed back into the land. Buying wonky veg helps farmers sell more of their crop and plan production with greater accuracy.
Eat Healthily
Vegetables are an important part of healthy eating and provide a source of many nutrients, including potassium, fiber, folate (folic acid) and vitamins A, E and C. Eating plenty of fruits and veggies may help reduce the risk of many diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and some cancers. Basically, veggies are the anti-everything food! Better yet, when you compare the nutritional value of foods by calories you see that nothing stacks up to vegetables. But no one vegetable can provide all the nutrients our body needs. That’s where our variety box comes in. What an absolute winner! Sign me up!
Save Water
Wasting food = wasting water. It’s as simple as that. When you throw away a carrot or potato you are also throwing away all the resources that went into making it. Water plays a major role in food production, and as a result, food waste translates to an enormous amount of water wastage. The average person throws away 77 tomatoes a year. That’s the equivalent of 10 baths tubs of water! Probably best we don’t talk about how much water it takes to produce a pound of beef…
Help Charities
By purchasing one of our veg boxes you are actively providing a meal for those in need in your city. We work with food banks to help those in need of a hot and healthy meal to gain access to it. It is estimated that at least 4.7 million people in the UK live in food poverty. With a further 2 million people being malnourished. Despite being one of the richest countries in the world many UK families struggle to afford food. We want to raise awareness of this issue and help out in any way we can.
Save Money
The average prices of delivered veg boxes start at around £11 to £12 for a small box, increasing to £20+ for a large! Our large box is the same price as a small from other delivered veg box companies. This means you can save up to 57% by buying Wonky. Bargain city!
Wonky Charity
We deliver approximately 10-15% of our produce to local food banks and charities. If you are a charity or food bank and would like to receive donations please do get in touch.