Tackling Food Waste
Food Waste is one of the largest contributors to climate change. Tonnes of perfectly good food are wasted each year, and as part of our commitment to the environment, we ensure that no food is wasted. We do this through careful ordering, one of the reasons why our delivery & collection services operate to pre-order only and through building relationships with local community initiatives.
Any Surplus Food from our Shop or Veg Box Scheme is donated to local community projects to ensure we operate a zero food waste policy.
Best Before Dates & Food Hygiene
The Paddock holds a 5* Food Hygiene Rating with Gateshead Council. Quality is hugely important to us, and as such, we work extremely hard to ensure all of our produce reaches you in the freshest possible quality. Our fresh produce is picked to order & we aim to send you products with a reasonable best before date.
If you would like more information on best before dates, or any of our Food Hygiene Related Practices, please feel free to contact us via email: [email protected]
Environmental Commitment
At The Paddock, we firmly believe in working with nature rather than against it. Organic food means higher animal welfare, lower levels of pesticides, no manufactured herbicides or artificial fertilisers and more environmentally sustainable management of the land and natural environment, which means more wildlife. Organic food is not only better for our natural world, the environment and everything in it from the trees, to the hedgerows to the bees, the butterflies and the insects, it is also better for us and our own bodies.
Our fruit & veg is always organic, grown free from chemicals & pesticides we buy in from certified organic, independent farms only. Organic food is not only better for our own health, but also our natural world & everything in it.
Our veg boxes focus on local & UK grown veg, with the majority or our imported veg being brought in from Europe with no air freighting. Focusing on local, seasonal veg helps to reduce air miles & our carbon footprint.
At our own smallholding we aim to work with nature & encourage biodiversity through the way we work the land. We aim to produce as much fruit and veg as we can at our own smallholding in an environmentally friendly & sustainable manner. We have a composting toilet, solar powered lights and the land is worked by hand using very little machinery. Over the last few years we have planted lots of trees in the form of a small orchard, and we aim to encourage the wildlife and bio-diversity through the natural surrounding hedgerows, wildflower and meadow style grazing.
The veg we buy in is bought mostly loose, with little to no plastic packaging. Our veg boxes go to our customers just the same, and we have worked really hard to develop a range of additional products for you and your home which have strong environmental and ethical credentials.
Packaging
At The Paddock, we aim to reduce packaging wherever possible by sending much of our fruit and veg either loose or in brown paper bags.
We never buy plastic packaging for the veg boxes, only reuse what comes into us from suppliers. Over the years, we have worked really hard to minimise plastic packaging within our supply chain and now most of suppliers use home compostable bags for greens and most cucumbers are without plastic wrap. It is however very difficult to eliminate plastic from the supply chain entirely for many reasons, but we promise to always do our very best.
When it comes to our veg boxes, we never buy in boxes for the delivery service, nor do we have fancy boxes printed. We reuse what comes into us from suppliers and aim to recycle and reuse these as much as we possibly can. The boxes are very important to us, and doing it this way helps to keep the box scheme affordable for both you and us! Please return your boxes to us for reuse, however if your cardboard boxes are wet or no longer useable, please recycle them yourselves. We also recycle all of our egg boxes and reuse these as many times as we can. Any 6 or 12 egg boxes made from cardboard can be returned to us for reuse provided they are in a good condition. Brown paper bags used for fruit and veg can also be returned, along with any plastic, provided they are usable.
Ethical Banking
We bank with Starling Bank, offering fair, transparent and ethical business banking.
Food is a huge part of all our lives. It sustains us and provides us with so much more than just nutrition.
At The Paddock we believe in a fair food system for all, a one where producers are paid a fair price for the food they produce, and where good quality food is available to everyone at reasonable prices. As such, we work really hard to achieve good relationships with our suppliers, working with independent farms locally and across the UK, paying a fair price for our produce and striving for affordable prices for our customers. Good quality food is also high on our agenda, so everything you receive from us has been hand packed and checked to ensure it is of the best possible quality.
Community & Charity
Food provides us all with a strong sense of community. Community is so important to us. At The Paddock we work really hard to contribute to our local community, a one with strong ties & family history.
Part of our commitment to our local community is charitable donations. We aim to support as many local charities as possible. 100% of the donations goes to our chosen charities, with no profit going to The Paddock. Our way of giving something back.
Laura has also volunteered for The Prince's Trust for many years, helping to inspire young people to achieve their dreams.
© 2025 - The Paddock
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