On a Friday morning at VBDS 

At 9 AM on a Friday, Mill Lane Pavilion is shuttered and silent. Four cars converge on the car park. Eileen strides over purposefully brandishing the keys. The shutters rumble open and the Pavilion bursts into life. 

The Veg Box Donation Scheme volunteers spill into the hall. We have two and a half hours for our prep and packing. This is no mean task. Just a spot of distraction will mean Craig gets an extra loaf of bread and Sheila goes without.  

Crates of food are unloaded. During the week, volunteers drive to the various providers to collect produce. The tables heave with architectural kale from Seasons, oyster mushrooms from Tesco’s, perfect crunchy lettuces from Aldi. Steve expertly tops and tails the carrots and in no time cleans up all the veggies that need pruning. The juicy foliage is saved for Juliet’s rabbit – or the compost heap. 

The veggies and boxes are all lined up on tables. Today’s haul is enormous, thanks to our six suppliers, including the organic produce from the Potton Food Garden and Potton allotments.  

Refreshed with tea and cookies, the conveyor belt process begins. On a whiteboard, we have noted the number of one to four person boxes required for the three areas we deliver to – Potton, Sandy and Biggleswade.  

We note the box for Ian who is gluten free and Sandra who is allergic to tomatoes. Again, our silent mindfulness ensures that we don’t end up annoying either of them. 

The hard veggies go in first. Cucumbers, onions and peppers from G&M Growers are happily added to the medley. There is a glut of bananas and tomatoes today, so we go around twice with every box getting a generous helping of these. The single packet of crunchy radishes is placed in some lucky box, and so also the three lone packets of herbs or the single packet of garlic bread.  

The glorious sourdough bread and crumpets from M&S top the boxes. Rolls and baguettes are squeezed in wherever possible. As a final touch, the boxes get a recipe card. This week,  Sharon has chosen a mouthwatering Cream of Carrot Soup. We are serious about healthy eating and love to pass on our passion! 

There is no more breathing space in the boxes, but we are not done yet. There is a plethora of goodies from the deli counters - scotch eggs, ready meals, fruit salads or whatever is available on the day. Gorgeous bouquets from M&S add a touch of luxury to the boxes – chrysanthemums, kalanchoes, and roses. 

The boxes are carried to the cars, the tables are cleaned, the shutters come down again and the lights are switched off. The last car drives away. 

The Pavilion is restored to stillness and silence.  
 

The Veg Box Donation Scheme distributes surplus veg and fruit boxes, free of charge, to folks who are referred to us. If you would like to help, contact us at hello@vbds.org.uk, or visit our  website www.vbds.org.uk or Facebook page www.facebook.com/vegboxdonations.

For those in financial need who would like a veg box, see  

www.vbds.org.uk/how