Sustainable food shopping

We’ve put together a list of options for buying more sustainably – we’ve checked each out for reduced packaging, local food or organic products. Here’s a summary comparison chart, with details of each option below.

Crop Drop

Weekly delivery sourced from local farms with drop points in Wood Green, Crouch End, Highgate, Tottenham and Finsbury Park.

Choice of 3 sizes of bag of vegetables and one of fruit

Oddbox

They collect surplus and oddly shaped vegetables direct from farms to avoid food waste.

Weekly deliveries across London and the South-East

WeFil

Sustainably grown & ethically sourced: Organic or Uk grown vegan foods, toxic free cleaning products, toiletries and more. Refill of liquids at the doorstep. Single use plastic free packaging and closed loop system for jars/ bottles and paper bags.Collection by arrangement. Delivery on Thursdays to North and North-West London. Monthly pop up N11 & N22 Myddleton Road Market

Riverford Organic Farmers

Seasonal organic vegetables, fruit, dairy, fish and meat. Wide choice of boxes and flexible orders. Plastic free, minimal packaging and compostable bags.  Free deliveries from a cooperative of farms in the South-East and some produce from farms in Spain, Italy and France. Never by air.

Organic Alley

84 Fortis Green Rd, Muswell Hill, N10 3HN

Wide range of organic foods and sustainable products. Compostable packaging. Refill for some foods and household liquids 

Organic to your Door – Haelan Centre

Wide range of organic and sustainable products.

Organic fruit & vegetables, meat, fish and groceries. Refill on household liquids in shop only.

Health and beauty products and supplements.

Tesco Loop

We’ve not tried this – Tesco and Loop are partnering to offer new trial service with re-usable containers which they will pick up and re-fill.

Able & Cole

Seasonal organic vegetables, fruit, dairy, fish and meat, toiletries, sustainable cleaning products, drinks and kitchen essentials. 

Harmless Store (open 7 days a week)

79 Tottenham Lane, Hornsey, N8 9BE

Vegan & low package refill shop selling all groceries including a frozen section, oat milk machine and cleaning products.  

The People’s Pantry

Local to Muswell Hill. Converted milkfloat “Ernie” – book for a visit to your street to refill your containers.  “Eric” the bike for deliveries Friday to Sunday

Dried foods, eco cleaning and beauty products. Jar swap service

Infinity Foods Wholesale

Wide range of organic and sustainable products.

Dried and tinned foods, toiletries, cleaning products, drinks branded groceries

Their dried food comes in plastic packaging. Only the 5kg catering packs are recyclable

Designed for independent shops but could be useful for sharing with other households.

The Organic Delivery Co.

A small company providing seasonal organic vegetables, fruit, and branded groceries including those from Clipper, Suma and Infinity.

They source their produce from a number of growers in the UK and Europe including a cooperative in Sicily.

The Source Bulk Foods

3 The Broadway, Crouch End, N8 8DU

Large choice of zero waste dried foods for refill.