The Veg Box

The Veg Box is a small organic produce business working out of The Farmoury in Manikata, a quiet rural corner of north-west Malta that most visitors pass on the way to the beaches. Rather than a supermarket aisle, you get seasonal vegetables chosen for what the Maltese and Gozitan growing year is actually producing.

The business has been going since 2012 and is listed in our directory of organic food shops and suppliers in Malta. It suits residents who want a regular local supply, and UK visitors on self-catering holidays who would like to cook with fresh island produce during a stay.

What The Veg Box is about

The aim is to supply healthy local produce to local consumers and to close the gap that has opened over roughly the last forty years between the people who farm the land and the people who eat the food. The thinking is that food grown in a simpler, less industrial way makes for healthier family meals, and that this is where wider well-being starts.

Naturally grown, pesticide-free, organic and local produce is a way of strengthening communities, by backing the growers who sit at the root of the food system and who work the land in a traditional, fair way. The business supports farmers in both Malta and Gozo, and it encourages shoppers to think about the effect their choices have as citizens.

That includes the size of the weekly shopping basket itself. The message is that understanding the process behind a product, and adjusting how much you buy, can make a difference to a healthier society and planet. The produce on offer is fresh, local, seasonal and certified organic.

Seasonal produce and harvest updates

Because the stock follows the seasons, what you find changes through the year. This is the opposite of the year-round, imported sameness of a big chain, and it is a good reason to visit in different months. Our Malta weather guide shows how the island's seasons run, which gives a feel for the growing calendar.

The business invites customers to subscribe for bi-weekly seasonal harvest updates and to pre-order. If you are a regular, that is the easiest way to know what is ready before you set out. Visitors can use the enquiry form on this page to ask how pre-ordering works.

Local produce of this kind is a pleasure to cook with on holiday, whether you are in a villa, an apartment or a rented farmhouse. Our guide on where to stay in Malta explains which areas suit which kind of trip, and the north-west is one of the quieter, greener parts.

Location, opening days and getting there by bus

The farm shop stands in the countryside of Manikata, right at the entrance to the Majjistral Nature Park. It is only a short distance from Golden Bay and the wider Mellieħa area, so it fits neatly into a day out that also takes in the coast. If you are comparing the island's sands, our best beaches in Malta guide is a good place to start.

It opens on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10:00 to 18:30, and on the first Sunday of each month. On other days, check beforehand. Public transport works well for visitors without a hire car: take the number 44 from Valletta, the 223 from Buġibba, the 225 from Sliema or the 101 from Mellieħa, and get off at the Golden Bay stop, known as Ferħa.

Families who like to combine a food stop with an outing can look at Popeye Village nearby, or at the Blue Lagoon on Comino. For more ideas, see our page of things to do in Malta.

Planning a visit and making an enquiry

If you are flying from Britain, our flights to Malta page covers the main UK routes, and the Malta holidays overview helps you pick a base. Anyone thinking of living here will find the relocating to Malta guide useful for everyday matters such as shopping and neighbourhoods.

No prices are published on the site, and stock depends on the harvest. For any question about what is available, opening on a particular day, or pre-ordering, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the business.