An honest opinion of a vegetable subscription service

I'd been interested in subscribing to a veg box since I moved it but it seemed a bit frivolous. But now after living in our house for two years, money isn't as tight as it once was so I took the plunge and signed up to see if they were really worth the money. I opted for Abel & Cole because I loved the idea of their British veg box priced at £12.50. I've been trying really hard this year to make more ethical food choices to try and help the environment. One of those is only eating vegetables that are season to help cut down on the transportation.

Consisting of six different varieties of vegetables, everything in the box is organic. It changes each week but you'll find you'll sometimes get a lot of the same things due to the fact the U.K is limited in what type of veg it can grown. That darn British weather! Sadly you can't ask for replacements like you can for the other boxes so if you don't like something that's included then that's tough. You'll find the contents of the box for the next two weeks on the website so you can decided whether you would like it delivered. In the particular week pictured we got free tofu included in the box and I added some wild garlic after being influenced on Instagram! Occasionally we will add other stuff, this week I added some bread and salted butter.

We decided to get it delivered fortnightly as £12.50 each week did seem a bit expensive and a waste of money. As there are only two of us in this house I've found this works out perfectly. I don't know if it's because its organic but it really does last a long time so we barely finish eating it before the next box gets delivered. I plan my meals around what we will receive in the box so it's so helpful to see the contents online in advance. The packaging is all recyclable, even the plastic. I love the fact you can leave the box outside, and all the other packaging if you wish, and they will collect it to reuse it again for another box.

So is it worth the money? In a short answer yes! I love having it delivered every week and the produce is always so delicious. In particular the tomatoes are incredible. They actually taste like tomatoes which is more than what you can say for the ones in the supermarket...  Having the box makes me much more adventurous with my cooking as I'm using ingredients I never would have thought to use. As we're making more of an effort to go veggie, it's making it a lot easier to get more of our daily allowance. It's so easy to bulk up dinners with potatoes but this is making sure I get my five a day. We are sometimes still buying a couple of veggies in our weekly shop but that's mostly if I'm cooking for other people than our household of two. I even don't mind that the veg is a little grubby when it arrives - Sophie a year ago would have hated this! - as this means that it really is organic. Nothing a little rinse under the tap can't sort! We've been enjoying the box for two months now and I can't imagine we'll be stopping anytime soon.

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How to spend 24 hours in Ipoh, Malaysia

8am: Wake up

You'll want to make an early start in order to make the most of your time in the city. After waking up at Ban Loong Hotel, make sure you're ready to be out of the door for 9am. Nice and central, Ban Loong is spotlessly clean with incredibly helpful and friendly staff. The rooms come with air conditioning and free WIFI. It's a great option if you're on a budget as a private double room with a private bathroom was priced at around £35 per room.

9am: Breakfast at Plan B
We always opted for a western breakfast throughout our Malaysia trip. Luckily the cities we visited had cute cafes that wouldn't look out of place in Shoreditch. Drinks and food isn't cheap at Plan B but if you're eating street food in the evenings then you can afford to splash out. The bar/cafe has a great wine list, something we found was unusual in Malaysia. The menu is a hybrid of American-inspired dishes such as hotdogs, loaded fries and burgers. You'll also find Asian themed dishes if this is what tickles your fancy. The cafe is located inside a market which have some lovely stalls dotted around.

10.30am: Take a stroll around the street art
Just like Georgetown in Penang, Ipoh is full of street art by Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic. Download a map on your phone whilst you have WIFI and it's fun to spend an hour wandering and soaking up the city. They're all pretty close to each other and watch up for the crowds. Everyone loves street art!

11.30: Take a stroll down Concubine Lane
Concubine Lane is said to be where rich men hid their mistresses from their wives. Now it's a bustling street of pop-up stalls, food vendors and little boutiques. It is a bit hectic but that's part of its charm. I highly recommend it for some cheap sunglasses if you lose yours! Grab some street food from the stalls if you're feeling peckish. The street food is out of this world in Malaysia.

12:30pm: Look at the colonial architecture
Malaysia was colonised by the British and as a result the country is full off typical colonial architecture. Ipoh is no different. One of the most famous buildings in the city is the train station. Designed by British architect Arthur Hubbard, the main behind Kuala Lumpur train station, it's a stunning building. We sat for a while on the bench outside and people watched. Other buildings to keep an eye out for include the town hall and clock tower. Also look out for the state mosque which is a incredible example of Islamic architecture. The call to prayer will give you goosebumps.

2pm: Sam Poh Tong temple
Sam Poh Tong is located about a 10-12 minute drive outside the city. We had a car but you can easily get a taxi, they're pretty cheap in Ipoh. Make sure you download Grab which is their version of Uber. This Chinese temple is built within limestone caves and is quite a site to behold. If you can hack a steep climb of 246 steps to the cave opening, you'll be rewarded with a view of Ipoh and the surrounding areas. The peaceful gardens were my favourite part. We got an ice cream and sat on the benches soaking up the surroundings and the atmosphere.

2.45pm: Buddhist temple
About a five minute walk from Sam Poh Tong is a Bhutanese Buddhist temple. I have no idea what it was called as I can't seem to find it on Google. We just stumbled across it and it was great! We were kindly given a tour by a women who was looking after the temple. She armed up with leaflets and despite the language barrier tried to teach us all about it. She was a very enthusiastic photo taker!

3.30pm: Head back to the city for some coffee
Ipoh is famous for its coffee. I'm not a fan but my boyfriend fell in love with it and bought some home with him as a souvenir. Ipoh coffee is very sweet so perfect for those who aren't too keen on the bitter taste. The city is full of hipster coffee shops so just pick one that tickles your fancy. You can't go wrong!

4.30pm: Head back to the hotel to have a shower and get ready for the evening.
The weather in February was ridiculously hot as we constantly felt sticky. A shower before you head out for the evening was always welcomed! So was a nap if we could fit in it... The heat makes you so tired!

6pm: Try local delicacies for dinner at Tong Sui Kai
Special thanks to Michelle for giving me the heads up on these hawker stalls. Order a grab and give them the street name of Jin Sultan Ekram. It can be quite overwhelming when you see the sheer amount of stalls on offer but always go to the one with a decent sized queue. It means that it will be tasty! I couldn't tell you what stalls I visited only that it was some of the best food we ate in Malaysia. I'm still dreaming about those noodles!

8pm: The city is yours! We went bar hopping then headed back to the hotel to grab some beauty sleep before leaving the next day.

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What to wear in between seasons

Outfit:

Cotton red and white striped shirt dress: Zara (similar)

Light wash denim jacket: Primark (similar)

Silver three strap sliders: Birkenstocks

Grey cross over bag: Marc Jacobs (similar)

What is this weather eh? I always find it so tricky to dress for this type of weather. I'm also so over wearing jeans by the time the summer months roll around as I've been wearing them all throughout the winter. But thanks to the rain, its always a little bit chilly! My solution? A midi dress with sleeves and a pair of Birkenstocks. My feet always get pretty hot on the tube - TMI maybe? So my Birks always keep my feet cool. I keep a denim jacket on me in then morning as it's always pretty chilly at the time I start my commute. It's folds up - who am I kidding, scrunches up - pretty small so is easy to keep in my rucksack. A cotton dress keeps you cool and yet also dries out pretty quickly if you get caught in the summer rain. Which happens almost daily in England!

As soon as the weather becomes above freezing I seem to live in my Birkenstock sandals. They're so comfy, the perfect shoe when you're on your feet all day. Due to this obsession they sadly rarely make it past one season. In fact I had to chuck my very well worn black ones last summer in Mallorca because they literally fell apart on my feet. RIP. But Birks can be pretty expensive so I always try to hunt around for a bargain. TK Maxx always have a great selection online and in store. Alternatively check out Love The Sales as their Birkenstock sale* is pretty decent too.

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