Growing Pains

The start of this year saw the UK hit by freezing temperatures, which are never good for growers. As the soil freezes up, not only is plant growth affected, but crops can’t be harvested on time – leeks, kale and cauliflower were all delayed coming out of the ground. Some of our growers in Lincolnshire lost up to 20% of their cauliflower crops to frost damage.

And that’s not all. Storm Goretti brought heavy rain, extreme winds and even snow in some parts of the country. Crops were left under water in many parts of the UK, damaging the still-growing veg and delaying harvests even further. Some regions saw a month’s worth of rain in just 24 hours, and one of our growers lost an entire field of baby white carrots.

British growers aren’t the only ones up against it. Spain has experienced a lot of cold spells over the past month, with temperatures falling well below what’s typical for the season. The cold, a lack of sun and stormy weather have hit crops hard, slowing growth for aubergines, courgettes and more.

Where does this leave growers?

In short: things have been difficult. Growers aren’t able to produce nearly as much veg as usual, as they’re losing lots of crops. What they can produce has been delayed, and much of it is coming out pretty rough around the edges – even by Oddbox standards. And they still have to meet demand from supermarkets as much as possible.

Rain doesn’t just destroy crops. Fields can flood, and conditions on the farm can get very tricky for tractors and other machinery, so farmers can’t get around their land or do their work. There’s a massive impact on veg production, and that means loads more waste, either because crops are lost before they’re ready, or they can’t be harvested before it’s too late. And it all leads to one thing: growers not having enough to fulfil their orders and missing out on vital income.

What does this mean for you?

Basically, there’s less produce going around, which means there’s less for us to rescue. And that means you might miss out on a few things you’re used to unboxing at this time of winter, like wonky peppers, aubergines and courgettes. Now that there’s less veg being produced, retailers are snapping up everything they can – some have even relaxed their guidelines, accepting more imperfections compared to usual. We’ve been seeing more produce which isn’t up to scratch freshness-wise, too – we’re working to make sure each and every box meets the highest standards of freshness.

We would never stand in the way of our growers working with supermarkets. As Tony, from our Sourcing team, puts it: “This is where Oddbox rightfully steps back. We don’t request or expect our usual volumes from our suppliers, of course – they have enough to worry about. When aubergines are this in demand, they fetch a much higher price than usual, and certainly aren’t in need of rescue. We’ll let our growers focus on getting through this difficult time, and they know we’ll be there for them when things go back to ‘normal’.”

Looking ahead

We’re adapting to the situation, whether it means altering our expectations for veg stocks over the next few weeks, or making last-minute changes to our boxes – we’re focusing on getting the tastiest, freshest possible boxes to our community. But we haven’t seen the last of these weather troubles.

Year on year, storms in the UK are getting heavier, and we’re seeing more flooding up and down the country. But we’re also seeing multiple heatwaves during the summer, and temperatures climbing to 40°C and above – things are getting a lot harder for growers whatever the time of year. And it’s not just in the UK; 2025 saw flooding in Spain and drought in Europe. As the climate crisis accelerates, it won’t just affect Oddbox and our growers. It’ll affect all of us.

So we’ll be on our toes. And we’ll always do what we can – we’ll keep on supporting our growers and fighting waste, come rain, shine or storm.