North East Food Box Delivery Services : Reviews & Recommendations

During this lockdown period, the Government has advised us to stay at home as much as possible. We have not been to a Supermarket in over a month now and instead, have relied upon food boxes / delivery schemes plus our corner shop.

This has worked really well for us and I like that we are supporting local businesses in this way. After lockdown, I hope we can continue.

I thought I would put together a list and mini reviews of the places we have tried so far. Let me know if you have any others to add to the list.

Make sure you follow my North East Family Fun Facebook page here for more recommendations.

Tyneside Food Service

Tyneside Food Service is a local company (established in 1979) that usually provides produce to local restaurants and businesses. During the pandemic, they have adapted their business model and are delivering to the public too.

They are usually wholesalers so some produce is in larger quantities but you can split trays and order smaller portions. They have loads on offer (over 3000 products) and are brilliant for stocking up - tinned goods, flour, dairy produce, snacks, baked goods, big bags of frozen veg, drinks, toilet roll, sauces, bread, eggs, cheese, milk, puddings, frozen goods - absolutely loads. The prices are really good too.

There is a minimum spend of £40 and delivery is FREE. To order, you first need to register here: https://www.tynesidefoodservice.com/ It usually takes 48 hours for your password to come through. Check your spam folder as that's where mine was. Once registered, you then place your order online and a member of staff will phone you to take payment over the phone on the day before your delivery. Delivery is really quick and usually within a couple of days. Most postcodes are covered including:

What really stood out for me with Tyneside Food Service was their exceptional customer service. You can tell they are a proper family business and they were all so friendly. They were the only people I could find who still stocked flour a few weeks ago and their big bags of frozen veg have been so handy to have in the freezer. When I need to restock, I will be re-ordering for sure.

Northumbrian Free Range Eggs 

We love a good egg in this house and between the 5 of us, we go through a lot. It is particularly important to Steve that we buy free range eggs and local where possible so when I stumbled across Northumbrian Free Range Eggs it was a no brainer for me.

You can buy trays of 30 free range eggs from hens in Northumberland for £8 including delivery or add a fruit, veg and salad box onto your order (from the wholesalers) for £25 including delivery. 30 local free range eggs plus a selection of fruit, veg and salad seemed like a bargain to me and I was really impressed with the value offered.

Order and pay online here:  https://northumbrianeggs.com/

You need to order at least 48 hours before your delivery date otherwise you will be added to the following week. At the moment, postcodes include:

What I liked about Northumbrian Free Range Eggs is that they were really strict about social distancing on delivery and seemed to have rigorous policies in place. There was also around a month's date on our eggs so we have plenty of time to use them. When we need more eggs, I will definitely re-order. 

1901 Caffe Bistro  / Grab by Blueline Taxis 

I have not personally tried this service but my friend Chloe has (although this was via 1901 Caffe Bistro direct rather than Blueline). I am hoping to give them a try in a few weeks.

Grab by Blueline is a new app / website where you can order food / produce from local suppliers and Blueline will collect and delivery for you for a set fee. Delivery fees vary but for us in Cramlington, they seem to be around £5 which is reasonable.

Local businesses involved include Black Storm Brewery, 1901 Caffe, Tyne Bank Brewery, Dicksons Pork Shop, My Pet HQ and North East Drinks Supplies. They are adding new businesses all of the time and there may be different options in your area.

Find out more / order here: https://www.grabnortheast.co.uk/

Credit - New Girl in Toon

1901 Caffe Bistro caught my eye as you can order their regular options such as afternoon tea / brunch / cakes but they also have a comprehensive groceries list where you can order single items (eg one apple) or larger quantities. They offer a meal prep service too.

They stock lots of fruit and veg, butter, milk, bread, cheese, meats, flour, baked goods, veg boxes and more. I think if you are a living alone or looking to send a box of treats / staples to somebody who is self-isolating, this looks brill. I will let you know what they are like when I try them myself soon.

Premier Meats 

Premier Meats offer some fantastic deals which I could not resist. I am really pleased I gave them a go and they have left a good impression. I will be re-ordering soon!

Their website is open from 10am-4pm each day for next day delivery / collection. They sell a limited number of each item each day so it is best to order early in the day to get the best deals.

Premier Meats have teamed up with local taxi firms and will deliver within 25 miles of their stores (Blyth, Catterick, Kingston Park and Team Valley). Delivery is £5 if you are within 6 miles of a store and £10 if you are within 25 miles. Or you can pick free next day collection too.

You order and pay online and your produce will be delivered the following afternoon. They have some cracking deals which change regularly. We stocked up our freezer with steaks, chicken, mince and casserole steak. The value is just fantastic and once our stocks run low, I will re-order for sure.

Find out more and order online (between 10am-4pm) here: https://premiermeats.live/

Pudding Parlour 

Over Easter, I was looking for Easter Eggs I could post to family members but unless I wanted to pay well over the odds, there was nothing available. So instead I opted to send Easter themed brownies from the Pudding Parlour.

The Pudding Parlour is a local business and can deliver brownies across the UK. Delivery was super quick and trays of brownies are priced between £18 - £20 including delivery. You can freeze brownies so you don't need to eat them all at once.

Find out more and order here:  https://thepuddingparlour.com/mail-order/

Glenton's Bakery 

A few people recommended this local bakery chain to me. They offer free local delivery of cakes, treats, bread, eggs and other baked goods. With their delivery scheme, you phone head office the day before and place an order (payment is taken over the phone).

We were hoping to order treats for Easter Weekend and despite me checking over Social Media that they were definitely open and when I should call and place my order, when I called on a Thursday, nobody answered and there was no option to leave a message (I tried 5 times at various points over the morning). I am not sure what happened but it was not meant to be.

I have left their details below as like I say, a few people have recommended so I think it was just that I caught them on a bad day.

Great British Meat 

The Great British Meat Company are based in Gateshead. I have ordered through them on and off over the years and I am always super impressed with their quality. I ordered just before lockdown and their meat box was perfect for stocking up our freezer and getting us through the first week or so of lockdown. 

They are local but deliver across the UK so are a brilliant option if you need to send meat to relatives isolating elsewhere in the country. 

Grainger Market 

17 APRIL UPDATE  - I tried Grainger Market Delivery service. It was quick and easy to order online. Unfortunately though, half of our order was missing on delivery.  I contacted Grainger delivery via Messenger and email and they replied via messenger and sent the rest of our order the following day along with some teacakes to apologise.

I was very impressed with the quality of our delivery - the £10 fruit basket featured avocados, grapes, a pineapple, strawberries, apples, oranges, blueberries, pears and more. The deli meats were brilliant - loads of meats plus stuffing, pease pudding and coleslaw. Our cakes from French Oven were a little squashed but lovely (there were 9 in our box which for £10 felt like good value).

A few people have mentioned to me that the meat selection can be hit and miss and it is worth keeping in mind that their FB reviews are mixed. I did not order meat though so cannot comment.

Original post......

We love shopping at the Grainger Market. They launched a delivery scheme a few weeks ago but unfortunately, it did not cover Cramlington. However last week they extended their delivery area and it does now cover us. Yeah! I am going to try this service out later this week.

You order from a selection of retailers and pay online and your produce will usually be delivered within 48 hours.

Order online here:  https://shop.graingerdelivery.com/

I love that there is such a good selection with Fishmongers, Butchers, Bakers, Delis, Cheese Shops and more taking part. I cannot wait to place an order.

My Deli Fresh 

My Deli Fresh trialed a Newcastle Delivery Service a few weeks ago and I absolutely loved it. Sadly, they have stopped North East deliveries for now but I have included them as they may restart (fingers crossed).

I loved this company as rather than a random veg / fruit box, you can order exactly what you need. EG 6 apples, 1 bunch of grapes, 6 tomatoes......

They stock a wide range of fruit, veg, deli meats, salad items, meat, dairy products, baked goods and more. Delivery is free when you spend over £50. Hopefully they will return to Newcastle soon.

Find out more here:  https://mydelifresh.com/

Northumberland Cheese 

We love Northumberland Cheese and were delighted to see that they are offering a variety of cheese boxes which can be delivered across the UK (free delivery if you spend over £25). There are a few different options to choose from.

Find out more and order here:  https://www.northumberlandcheese.co.uk/

We ordered the Stay at Home box which was packed with cheeses - I think it will probably see us beyond lockdown. Fantastic value for money, a brilliant weekend treat and a lovely way to support a local business. I probably will not re-order as we have so much cheese now but if I am looking at sending a gift, Northumberland Cheese will be the first place I look.

North East Food Collaborative 

Another one I have yet to try but a few people have recommended. North East Food Collaborative is a collaboration between lots of lovely local independent businesses. There is lots of choice including meats, fruit, veg, baked goods, sauces, wines, drinks, treats and more. At time of writing, delivery is available across the North East within around a week of placing your order.

Order online here: https://northeastfood.boutir.com/

Redheads Mac n Cheese 

Redheads Mac n Cheese is simply the best. We love them! They offer a limited free delivery service across the North East every Friday. Their online store opens at 6pm ish on a Friday evening for orders to be delivered the following Friday. They usually sell out pretty quickly so you need to be speedy to avoid disappointment.

They offer a variety of Mac n Cheese, drinks and desserts. We ordered 4 x Mac n Cheese for our freezer and it was so lush knowing that we had some comfort food as a back up when we needed it.

You can cook straight from frozen and for us, one portion is enough between two if we bulk out with some garlic bread. Their mac n cheese is just the best! I will be re-ordering as soon as we run out.

Find out more and order here:  https://redheadsmacncheese.co.uk/mac-n-cheese-delivered

Geordie Bangers 

Geordie Bangers are our favourite sausages. They are a premium product but worth spending a little bit extra on in our opinion. You can order three packs for £12 via the Grainger Market delivery service mentioned above or order direct as we did.

If you buy 5 packs, delivery is FREE across the UK. We did just this and stocked up. Their sausages are just the best (Hog Roast is a particular favourite).

Order online here:  https://www.geordiebangercompany.co.uk/homedeliveryservice

Wilde Farm 

I have just placed an order with Wilde Farm this morning. They offer FREE local delivery when you spend just £10 which feels like a bit of a bargain.

Wilde Farm is based in Ponteland and specialise in Pork produce. Animals are 100% raised outdoors following organic farming principles.

You can order meat or veg boxes online or build your own. I was so impressed with the selection of produce available and the prices too. You can choose from a selection of pork products, cakes, veg, local beers, local jams, local eggs and more. It is like shopping at your very own farm shop. What sets Wilde Farm apart is that you can add little treats to your delivery, offer flexibility (eg build your own boxes) and they are so much more than a standard box scheme.

Find out more and order here: https://wildefarm.co.uk/c/wilde-farm-shop

UPDATE - Delivery was prompt and the quality was fantastic!

Prime Cut Butchers 

Prime Cut Butchers are an established North East business. At the moment, they are offering FREE delivery across the North East (check the postcodes below) when you spend just £20. They have loads of options from small quantities to bulk buys and a huge selection including lamb, beef, sausages, burgers, bacon, pork, eggs, haggis and more. Ideal if you need small amounts from a wide selection OR don't like paying a delivery fee. You can specify a delivery date too. 

Order online here: https://www.primecutbutchers.co.uk/

Beckleberry's Ice Cream and Patisserie

Beckleberry's Ice Cream delivery Mon-Fri from 11am-5pm. Delivery is FREE within a 10mile radius of their HQ in Blaydon. 

I love their range of products - perfect if you are looking for a treat. I love this selection of 10 mini ice cream tubs for just £10 (fab to keep in the freezer) and their afternoon treat box is an absolute steal for £15. I have ordered their box set bundle which consists of 4 x ice creams, 4 x brownies and 4 x potted desserts for the weekend. I also ordered a chocolate cake for Heidi's birthday. I will update when they arrive!

Find out more and order online here: https://beckleberrys.myshopify.com/collections/all

Hector Hall Fruit & Veg

 I was so pleased with our fruit and veg from Hector Hall when we ordered via Grainger Delivery so I decided to order again but this time direct. The order process is super easy, simply complete the form shared via their social media (see this Facebook post) , select your delivery date (up to 5 days in advance) and the type of box you would like.

I have always ordered their fruit only and have been really impressed. Our latest box was £15 inc delivery and included:

• 1 x big bag of purple grapes 
• 1 x big bag of green grapes
• 2 x punnets of strawberries
• 1 x punnet of blueberries
• 1 x melon
• 10 x bananas
• 5 x oranges
• 5 x peaches
• 5 x red apples
• 10 x conference pears 

Exact contents change depending on what is available that day. Delivery is available from NE1 - NE30 and if you would like next day delivery, you must order before 3pm.

Find out more and order here. 



I have honestly been so impressed with all of these local food delivery options - they have all really stepped up to the challenge and I will happily recommend each and every one of them.

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