Organic produce market opens in Al Raha Gardens

Shoppers in the capital and Dubai can now pick up their fresh local organic produce from four collection points.

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ABU DHABI // Organic produce continues to set down roots in the Emirates.

A new produce market opened in Al Raha Gardens on Thursday, and shoppers in the capital and Dubai can now pick up their fresh local organic produce from four collection points.

After ordering on the Ripe market website - the country's first online market delivering locally grown organic produce - customers can pick up their groceries between 3pm and 7pm at Jones the Grocer in Abu Dhabi's Khalidiya, Al Mamoura and Al Raha areas and Dubai's Al Manara area.

"We were looking at community areas in Abu Dhabi, and Al Raha has a huge community of expatriates," said Becky Balderstone, Ripe's founder. "Jones the Grocer were looking to do a community project so it worked well."

The Ripe Food & Craft market in Al Raha Gardens has vegetable boxes that include fennel, beetroot, leeks, spring onions, tomatoes, potatoes, pumpkins, sweetcorn, strawberries and lettuce.

Produce for the boxes, which cost Dh80 to Dh130, is picked from local farms 48 hours before it reaches shoppers.

The new market is to be open every Thursday between 3pm and 7pm.

Orders made on ripeme.com before noon on Thursdays will be delivered the following week.