The Best Fresh Produce Delivery Services in Johannesburg

You can get a subscription box for just about anything – books, wine, underwear, snacks, meals, toys and more. The most useful however are the food ones, which if you choose well, will be packed with things you need and will use.

 

Meal delivery services are great if you want the convenience of not having to think about what you want to eat or learn to cook. But, for me, fresh produce delivery boxes are where it’s at. They give you the chance of creating your own meals and have enough in them that you’ll have good week or two worth of fruit and veg.

 

Produce delivery services offer you farm fresh produce, with the occasional staple items like milk, eggs, dairy and bread, straight to your door. They all share the fact that their produce is local, in season, many are organic, and their dairy and eggs are free range. I know that ordering fresh produce online can sometimes be risky.

 

We tried and tested 5 produce delivery services in the Johannesburg area – Farm Fresh Online, The Munching Mongoose, Wensleydale farms, Freshly grown and the Green Butler. Below is details of what you can expect, how each company works and how we used each box, including one recipe inspired by each box.

 

I have had bad experiences ordering fresh produce online from big retailers in the past, but without fail, we were blown away with the quality of each of the boxes we got. Not one box had anything that looked old or was going bad, if you were in a shop these are the pieces you’d choose. We were able to keep some of the items fresh for up to 3 weeks, which means that it was fresh and good quality when it arrived.

 

As produce delivery companies are delivering fresh goods, they limit their delivery to set areas, the ones we tried only offer delivery in Johannesburg and surrounding areas like Krugersdorp and Pretoria. The Green Butler however services most of Gauteng.

 

 

Farm Fresh Online

What is it?

Farm Fresh online delivers fresh seasonal produce to your door every week. They source produce from the market every week based on orders. This means they don’t hold stock and you know what you get is fresh. They offer vegetable boxes, fruit boxes and combined fruit and vegetable boxes in small, medium and large. Along with their boxes you can also add milk, eggs, honey and some pantry fillers to your order.

 

What’s in it?

We got the medium fruit and veg box which has 14-16 different fruits and vegetables. Inside the box we got the following

1 punnet of baby tomatoes

1 head of broccoli

2 baby cabbages

1 packet of corn

1 head of iceberg lettuce

1 butternut

6 large potatoes

1 bunch of bananas

1 pineapple

6 red apples

1 punnet of yellow patty pans

5 onions

1 cucumber

2 avocados

6 naartjies

1 packet carrots

6 Thorntree Farm free range eggs

 

What we loved about it?

The quality was incredible. The actual size of the produce was big, and it looked incredibly fresh and clean. The biggest test was the avocados, as you don’t know what you got until you cut them open – and both were amazing! It very much looked like the type of stuff I get at the fruit and veg shop. I also loved the variety and selection. The box was packed with the basics you need for a week’s worth of meals which makes it a practical box and something I can get without having to go out and shop for additional items. This had the best selection of produce for how I usually shop and eat.  I also loved that there was a decent selection of fruit included. The ability to add in eggs, milk and some other locally sourced goods is also a nice touch.

 

How Much is it?

A small box is R200, a medium R300 and big R400. The added items (milk, eggs etc.) are charged separately. All boxes include delivery in their price. Our box, including the eggs, came to R324.

 

R324 for a big box of produce delivered straight to your home is a crazy good price and a great value for money.

 

How does it work?

You select the box you want along with any extras and they deliver. Orders should be placed by Monday and depending on where you live, they start deliveries from Tuesday. You have the option to pause a week for when you don’t need a delivery.

 

Where do they deliver to?

Farm fresh online delivers to Sandton, Fourways, Randburg, Northcliff, Highlands North and Surrounds, Modderfontein, Edenvale, Germiston, Kempton Park, Boksburg, Benoni, Pretoria East, Krugersdorp, Roodepoort, Melville, Johannesburg City, Joburg South, Alberton, Midrand, Centurion and Pretoria North, West and South.

 

What we did with our box?

The first thing I made was a butternut and potato hash and eggs with chimichurri. The recipe is here. The only ingredients that weren’t from the box was parsley and chilli for the chimichurri, both of which I had already.

 

The fruit was eaten mainly for breakfast and the occasional snack. I made lots of salads with the cucumber, lettuce and cabbage. I also made a huge tuna pasta salad with the broccoli, corn, tomatoes and second avocado. The remaining potatoes and onions were added to either soups or stews.

 

Find out more about Farm fresh Online here

 

The Munching Mongoose

 

What is it?

The Munching Mongoose delivers fresh and organic seasonal produce, farm fresh milk, local gourmet cheeses, free range eggs and artisanal bread to your door. Plus, in each box you’ll receive one surprise artisanal product. They pretty much deliver all the fresh goods you use every week. They offer 3 different sized regular boxes which have fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs, cheese and bread in them; a low carb box which doesn’t have bread and a no veg box which has everything but the produce. This was the “fanciest box” we got.

 

What’s in it?

We got the midi box which comes with 6-8 organic seasonal fruits and veg, farm fresh milk, cheese, bread and eggs plus a surprise artisanal product. In our box we had

1 head cauliflower

1 butternut

1 bunch kale

1 bunch butternut

1 bag of mushrooms

2 paw paws

1 bunch carrots

2 sweet potatoes

1 loaf of ciabatta bread from the Baker Brothers

1 Gouda Cheese from the Greek Gourmet

12 free range eggs

1 bottle of Organic Fair-Trade wine from Stellar Organics

1 box of chocolate covered cranberries from Cocoa Fair

 

What we loved about it?

The Munching Mongoose puts a huge emphasis on the environment and sustainability. Orders come in a wooden box (made from reclaimed wood) which you return when you get your next delivery box. The milk, which you can choose if it comes in plastic or glass bottles, also gets returned when your next delivery comes. This in addition to the fact that the only items packaged in plastic was the kale, bread and cheese, makes this box incredibly green and waste free. It’s a really easy way to reduce your waste.

 

The quality of the produce, bread, milk, eggs and cheese was amazing as well. One of the things I loved about the ordering process of the Munching Mongoose is that the Monday after you order, you get an email with details of what’s in the box, you can then go online and switch out things you don’t want and replace them with items of a similar value. So, for example if you don’t want dairy, you can easily replace for more produce or if you want more quantities of something you can do so. I used this option to switch out milk and bread for more eggs and an extra paw paw. Knowing what you’re getting before it arrives, can also help you meal plan better.

 

How much is it?

Prices range from R449 to R799 depending on the box you get. We got the midi box which costs R599 including delivery. In total we got 16 items, which were organic, local and artisanal. Aside for some pantry staples and maybe more fruit, this box could give you a weeks’ worth of meals which is great value for money.

 

How does it work?

To get that week’s order, you need to place an order by Tuesday 11 am. You select your box; decide between a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly delivery and link your credit card to automatically pay. You can pause your subscription at any time. Every Monday you get an email with that week’s box details and you can then go online and switch out products until Tuesday, 11 am.

 

Once you’ve received an order, you need to keep the box and bottles aside, so they can be returned and reused.

 

Where do they deliver to?

The Munching Mongoose delivers in and around Johannesburg on Thursdays and Fridays. Areas include Sandton, Midrand, Bedfordview, Randburg, Bryanston, Rosebank, Krugersdorp, Roodeport, Fourways, Lanseria and more. The full map of delivery areas is here

 

What we did with our box?

The first thing I made was a gigantic roasted beetroot, butternut, Carrot, Kale and Quinoa Salad. The recipe is here

 

I also made my cauliflower Alfredo pasta with the mushroom and cauliflower and added in some kale. The remaining beetroot got turned into a beetroot hummus and the paw paw and eggs used for breakfast. Lastly the sweet potato was turned into sweet potato chips and added to a meal. I gifted the milk, bread and wine to friends and the feedback on the taste and quality was amazing.

 

Find out more about the Munching Mongoose here

 

Wensleydale Farms

What is it?

Wensleydale Farms is an organic farm shop. Aside from their weekly vegetable scheme boxes, they also sell an array of homemade products like jams, cereals and chocolates; dry goods like nuts, seeds and grains; and body care products. Their vegetable scheme boxes, offers 5 different sized boxes as well as the option of shopping individual items.

 

What’s in it?

We got the medium box which had 9 different organic vegetables. Inside our box was

2 white sweet potatoes

1 bunch carrots

1 head lettuce

1 bunch beetroots

Fennel

Large spring onions with bulbs

1 bag snap peas

1 punnet mulberries

1 bunch radishes

 

What we loved about it?

This box was filled with veggies that looked like they had been picked from the earth that morning. It was also the most waste free box. It arrived in a simple cardboard box and only the lettuce and mulberries where in plastic. Everything else was loose or in a brown paper bag. I also liked that they included veggies like fennel which I don’t often get, giving you a chance to discover new vegetables.

 

How much is it?

Their boxes start at R110 (mini) and go up to R275 (jumbo). We got the medium box which is R175, a great deal on a medium box of fresh organic vegetables. Wensleydale Farms does offer the most budget friendly boxes, but they do have a deliver charge of R75 if you want it delivered to your home.

 

How does it work?

You can choose to order a box on a weekly basis or whenever you need one. The contents of the box will vary depending on what’s available each week. On Monday morning a list goes up where you can personalise your box for an additional R17.50 charge.  Deliveries go out on Wednesday and Thursday.

 

Where do they deliver to?

They deliver around Gauteng – Kensington, Edenvale, Midrand, Northriding, Sundowner Estate, Tandpark Ridge, Northcliff, Emmarentia, Parkhurst, Parktown North, Parkview, Westcliff, Parktown, Saxonwold, Killarney, Lower Houghton, Norwood, Birdhaven, Melrose, Rivonia, Morningside, Gallo Manor, Wendywood, Sunninghill, Bryanston, Parkmore, Craighall Park, Dunkeld, Hyde Park, Hurlingham Gardens, Douglasdale, Fourways Gardens, Cedar Lakes, Eldoraigne, Southdowns, Midstream, Irene, Waterkloof, Waterkloof Ridge, Lynwood, Faerie Glen, Pretoria East, Silver Lakes and Woodhill Estate

 

They also offer pickup points (no delivery charge) at various points in Emmerentia, OR Tambo, Bryanston Organic Market, Bedfordview, Birhaven and Parkview.

 

What we did with our box?

I wanted to do something different with the beetroot other than roast it, so I made these Smoky Beet Burger Bowls which used the beets, radishes, carrots, lettuce and sweet potatoes. Recipe is here

The fennel got added into soups and broths, the snap peas into salads and the spring onion was split between broths and spring onion pancakes. The mulberries were frozen and added to a smoothie.

 

Find out more about Wensleydale Farms here

 

Freshly grown

What is it?

Freshly grown is an organic produce and wholefoods online shop. They deliver weekly boxes filled with seasonal fresh produce, dairy, free-range meat and all your other pantry staples. They offer vegetable boxes for 2 or 4 people. A salad box filled with salad veggies, a braai box with braai meat, a chicken box, a biltong box and a family box filled with a bit of everything. They also have the option of adding some staples like dairy, bread, eggs, drinks, muesli and pantry staples to any box. This is the only box that offers meat products as well, and they have the biggest dry goods store.

 

What’s in it?

We got the veggie box for 4 people along with some staples like milk, eggs and bread. Our box had the following

1 punnet nectarines

1 butternut

1 bunch spinach

1 bunch kale

5 onion

5 potatoes

8 turnips

2 green peppers

1 bag string beans

1 punnet nectarines

1 litre grass fed milk

12 free range eggs

1 large rye loaf

 

What we loved about it?

The quality of this box was amazing. Everything looked incredibly fresh and I’ve never seen a nicer or smoother butternut. It was also a bit of a different box than the others in terms of the variety of veggies that were included, as we got the boxes around the same time, many had similar ingredients, this included items the others didn’t, which was a nice change. The loaf of bread was also one of the biggest loafs I have ever seen. I like that they allow you to add quite a bit of added items to your box – from pantry, to bakery to body – which means you can probably get everything you need from Freshly Grown without having to go to the shops at all.

 

How much is it?

The box we got for 4 people is R155, with the added items it comes to R289. Like most boxes, you’d have to struggle to get what comes in this box at this quality for that price. Add in the convenience factor and it’s well worth it. You do need to factor in the R65 delivery fee.

 

How does it work?

The shop opens every week on Monday and closes at 12pm Tuesday. You have until then to order everything you want and pay. They offer EFT and COD payment options. They deliver on Thursdays and Fridays and charge a R65 delivery fee and the minimum order amount is R80.

 

Where do they deliver to?

They deliver to the Northern suburbs of Johannesburg, Midrand, the East Rand and Pretoria.

 

What we did with our box?

I wanted to make something with the turnips as it’s not something I use often. In fact, I usually only use turnips for minestrone soup. I made a turnip and potato mash along with mini meatballs and roasted butternut, the recipe is here.

 

Most of the spinach and Kale went into salads. Some spinach and a green pepper as well as eggs went into a spinach, pepper and feta frittata. The onions were added to soups and roasted veggies and I ended up making a compote with the nectarines. I gave the bread and milk to a friend who confirmed that they were in fact amazing.

 

Find out more about Freshly Grown here

 

The Green Butler

 

What is it?

The Green Butler is an online greengrocer. They source fruits and vegetables direct from the source and provide door to door delivery of fresh produce, pantry staples and health supplements. Unlike the other services, they’re not a weekly subscription service and you have more control over what you get. They offer ten different produce boxes that come in various sizes with a variety of fresh produce. In addition, they have the option to shop produce individually allowing you to select exactly what you want. They also sell nuts, pantry items like pastas, sauces and condiments as well as a whole range of health supplements.

 

What’s in it?

We didn’t get one of their boxes but rather a mixed selection of fruits, vegetables and pantry items. In our box was;

350g baby marrow

1kg carrots

1.5kg green apples

4 sweetcorns

4 avocados

2 punnets blueberries

300g baby leeks

1 bunch kale

1 bunch red vein spinach

2.5kg oranges

30g fresh mint

30g fresh parsley

400g rolled oats

100g mixed nuts

1 box fettucine

350ml jar of marmalade

 

What we loved about it

They have the biggest variety ( over 200 products) of all the produce delivery services which gives you more options and more control of what you purchase. They also offer thrice weekly deliveries and work more as an online grocer than a subscription model. They also offer an organic box. Organic produce is more costly than regular and having both options means you can buy according to your budget. Buying produce online is always risky as you never know the quality you get, but everything looked clean and fresh. They don’t hold stock which allows them to ensure better quality stock. I also loved their communication system. Along with an email, you receive whatsapp notifications and once delivered they check to see that you’re completely happy with your order. It really is like having a personal butler.

 

How much is it?

Our order totaled R492.85 and arrived in two packed boxes. You’re able to see individual prices for produce and they’re incredibly reasonable (R20 for a kg of apples, R22 for punnet of baby leeks). Prices were either on par with grocery stores or a bit less. The boxes start as low as R169 and go up to R559. All orders have a R49 delivery fee as well.

 

How does it work?

They deliver on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. You need to get in your order 24 hours before the delivery day.

 

Where do they Deliver?

They deliver throughout most of Gauteng. You can view their delivery zones here.

 

What did we do with our box?

I used the herbs to make a gremolata to serve with this fish along with the spinach which I sauteed with a little bit of olive oil. The corn and marrows went into making the chicken wings with corn basil sauce from Tapas, most of the oats went into these muffins; and the fruit was mainly eaten for breakfast.

 

Find out more about The Green Butler here  

 

To see each box in detail as we unboxed them, follow us on Instagram and find our latest IGTV episode.

 

As we said in the intro, we were blown away with the quality of each of the boxes we got and would recommend them all. The choice comes down to your specific needs, as each offer something a little different and varying price points.

 

Styling by Zissy Lewin, Photography by  Feige Lewin

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