My Thoughts on POTAGER CITY: Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Straight from the Producer

All experts agree on this, and you hear it everywhere: you should eat 5 servings of fruit and vegetables every day!

To help you diversify your diet, Potager City offers a subscription that allows you to receive a basket of fresh fruits and vegetables every week. And as a bonus: we support the local economy, as they come exclusively from partnering local producers!

I tested Potager City in the Bordeaux region for several months. Today, I'm sharing my experience with you.

What is Potager City?

💖 I Loved It

• The overall quality of the fruits and vegetables,
• The time-saving benefits of this system,
• Discovering new local producers,
• The app, which is also handy for saving time,
• The simple kraft packaging, which is close to zero waste!

❌ I Liked It Less

• The price is a bit high,
• There are few collection points in rural areas.

How does Potager City work?

Potager City offers you the chance to save time on your shopping by collecting fresh fruit and vegetable baskets close to home. You can choose from:

• only fruits,
• only vegetables,
• a mix of both.

The possible quantities are:

• 2.5 kgs of fruit (recommended for 2 to 3 people),
• 3 kgs of vegetables (recommended for 2 to 3 people),
• 4.5 kgs of assorted fruits and vegetables (recommended for 2 to 3 people),
• 6 kgs of assorted fruits and vegetables (recommended for 4 to 5 people).

Are they seasonal fruits and vegetables?

Absolutely! In fact, this is the primary criterion for product selection at Potager City. There's no way you'll receive strawberries in the middle of October or tomatoes in December! Your baskets will only contain seasonal fruits and vegetables, chosen for their quality.

Potager City values the seasonal calendar

Where do the products delivered by Potager City come from?

The Potager City team strives to prioritise local products as much as possible. When you sign up, you'll be asked which region you live in: this will enable us to deliver fruits and vegetables grown near you.

🍌 For exotic fruits that don't grow in our climate, Potager City collaborates with organic partner producers. The products are purchased directly from them, and they are paid a fair price for their hard work.

Can you add products to your order?

Of course. Once you’ve registered (there’s no need to be a subscriber, just create an account with your email), you gain access to the Potager City shop. This allows you to order complementary products along with your cart. These can include:

• Specialised fruits and vegetables from a local producer,
• Organic eggs available in packs of 6 or 12,
• Gift bouquets,
• Flour,
• Brown sugar,
• Jams,
• Fruit juices,
• Assorted savoury groceries...

👉 This is really convenient as it allows you to pick up other responsible and local products while you collect your basket, saving you from having to regularly go to a health shop, for example.

Is there a commitment at Potager City?

Not at all! You have two ordering options available to you:

• No subscription: in this case, you will receive just one basket. This is perfect for trying it out!
• With subscription: you receive a basket every week, but you can pause, change, or cancel your subscription at any time.

How does the delivery and collection of baskets work?

Unlike other competitors, Potager City does not deliver baskets to your home. Instead, they are dropped off at a collection point, at a nearby partner shop.

There are many collection points in France: over 6300 at the moment! By clicking on this link, you can find the one closest to you!

As the name suggests, Potager City is more developed in urban areas. The brand tries its best to establish collection points in rural areas, but these are less common.

Potager City is available in major cities across France, with many collection points.

🏢 You can also have deliveries made directly to your workplace if your company is a partner! If you work for a company, don't hesitate to ask them about this.

What is the price of Potager City baskets? 💰

Potager City offers two different baskets, as well as a R20 discount for those who choose a subscription (no commitment required).

Here are the details of the prices offered by Potager City:

You can add options:

• 6 organic eggs at R3 / week,
• 125g of organic dried fruit at R3 / week.

How is the price of baskets calculated?

Potager City is very transparent about the pricing of their baskets. The focus is on ensuring fair compensation for the producer as well as the stakeholders involved in the delivery chain (packaging, teams, rent...).

What payment methods are available on Potager City?

You can pay using a bank card, Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. You can also use your meal vouchers with the Edenred and Swile meal voucher cards.

👉 It is not possible to pay for your Potager City order via PayPal.

How to pay with a meal voucher at Potager City?

All you need is a Swile or Edenred meal voucher card. When making a payment, simply click on Meal Voucher Cards and enter your account details:

Screenshot of what will appear on the site at the time of payment

What does a Potager City basket look like? Find out in the video!

To help you better visualize a city vegetable garden, you can watch this video:

Here, we find that the fruits and vegetables are varied and of good quality. The packaging is a simple recycled and recyclable kraft bag, making the offering accessible even to those who have a lifestyle that leans towards zero waste.

In a basket, you will find freshly picked, seasonal fruits or vegetables (or both, depending on your choice). Since they come from local producers, they haven't traveled too far to reach you. It's like buying them at the market, but it saves you time!

Contents of a Potager City basket weighing 4.5 kgs

Is the Potager City app worth it?

On their website, Potager City encourages you to download the app on your smartphone. It has great ratings, both on Google Play and the App Store, so I wanted to take a look at it.

What are the features of the Potager City mobile app?

Once you've created an account, it becomes very convenient and allows you to place your orders directly, as well as view the contents of your shopping cart for the week.

You also have access to the online store, which allows you to add grocery items (juices, jams...) or other fruits and vegetables to your order.

The app also offers you guided recipes, which are very useful for learning how to cook the fruits and vegetables in your basket. You will also find detailed articles about all the fruits and vegetables you can find in your basket (storage, preparation...). Lastly, you will receive information about the partner producers of Potager City.

How to download the Potager City app?

You can find it by following the links below:

• On Google Play for an Android smartphone,
• On the App Store for an iPhone.

✅ In summary, the app is really handy and makes it easy to manage your subscription while discovering delicious and simple recipe ideas!

Can you gift a Potager City basket? 🎁

At the moment, Potager City does not offer gift vouchers. However, it is possible to give a basket by signing up and then choosing a one-off delivery without a subscription. You can also add other items (eggs, jams, fruit juices, dried fruits...) by selecting them from the shop.

👪 It's a fantastic gift idea for:

• A student who doesn’t have much money to eat well,
• Overwhelmed young parents who don’t have time to go to the market,
• An elderly person living at home and would like to cook,
• A person or couple who works a lot and wants to eat well,
• A family looking to eat local produce and enjoy diverse, balanced meals.

How to implement Potager City in your business?

Do you want the business you lead or work for to become a collection point for Potager City baskets? It's completely free, and by doing this, you allow your employees or colleagues to also benefit from the Potager City subscription.

🥭 Potager City also offers fruit baskets for R500 inclusive of VAT, which you can provide in your workplace, for coffee breaks for instance. This allows all your employees to take healthy breaks while enhancing their quality of life at work.

What do Potager City customers think? Discover their reviews!

Looking for information about other customers' reviews is a valuable source of information before signing up for an online service. To save you some time, I've conducted this survey for you and summarised the various reviews you can find online about Potager City. 😉

On Google

Potager City has 163 reviews on Google and encourages its customers to provide feedback on this platform. While this number isn't massive, it gives a good initial view of customer opinions about the service offered. The average rating is quite positive, sitting at 4 / 5.

💚 Potager City customers loved:

• The freshness of fruits and vegetables,
• The ability to consume local produce,
• The option to include other products (such as eggs),
• The app,
• The recipes provided in the app,
• The time-saving benefits of this system,
• Being able to easily diversify their diet.

Positive review about Potager City left by a customer on Google

❌ Customers were less impressed:

• The selection of exotic fruits and vegetables that isn’t necessary for everyone,
• The slightly high prices for those used to buying their fruits and vegetables at a market.

Mixed review of Potager City posted on Google

About Trustpilot

At the time I'm writing this article, Potager City has a rating of 2.9 / 5 on Trustpilot, which is considered average by the platform. There are fewer customer reviews than on Google, with a total of 69 reviews.

This mixed review stems from the fact that several customers notice that there are exotic fruits and vegetables in their Potager City box. However, the brand clarifies its approach: the aim is to sell primarily French products, but occasionally include fruits and vegetables from further afield. Nonetheless, there are no intermediaries involved; these products are mostly organic, and the producer is paid a fair price that reflects the value of their work.

Some customers are also disappointed by the price, which they consider to be high. However, there is a good proportion of positive 5-star reviews praising the concept and the quality of the fruits and vegetables.

Potager City on Social Media

Would you like to stay updated on the news from Potager City? Feel free to follow the team on:

• Twitter,
• Facebook,
• Instagram.

👉 In total, Potager City has almost 115,000 subscribers who regularly share recipes and the contents of their baskets using #potagercity!

Potager City also has a YouTube channel where you can find:

• Step-by-step recipes,
• Interviews with partner producers,
• Advertisements showcasing Potager City.

An example of a recipe from the YouTube channel Potager City: Cheddar Corn Fritters

Is Potager City a scam?

Potager City is a French company that has been around since 2007. It is based in Lyon, France. The company is the result of a family venture, as it was founded by two brothers who wanted to provide an easy solution for healthy eating. In 2020, the Carrefour group acquired the start-up.

Potager City is well established in the entrepreneurial landscape and distributes baskets to numerous businesses (including major brands) that act as a relay.

These large French companies are turning to Potager City

If you have any questions for customer service, you can contact Potager City via an online form or email. There is no telephone customer service available. However, the brand is attentive to its customers and responds to reviews left on Google.

✅ Potager City is a French start-up that you can order from with confidence. While we do miss having a telephone support service, the company is still responsive via messaging.

My verdict on Potager City ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Normally, I’m someone who buys my fruit and vegetables from local producers at the weekly market in my neighbourhood. It takes time, but I’m not willing to give up on buying local, as it aligns with my beliefs.

When I first heard about Potager City, I was intrigued by the idea of buying fruits and vegetables from local producers without having to go to the market. I decided to try it out for a week without a subscription, and then I subscribed for a few months.

Since there are three of us at home (two adults and one child), I've opted for the basket at R18.90 (R17.90 with a subscription) of assorted fruits and vegetables. The quantity is just right for a week, but I often add more fruits and other products (fruit juices, jams) through the shop. I don't buy my eggs from Potager City as I find the price of R30 for 6 eggs a bit steep.

So far, I have always been pleased with the variety of fruits and vegetables as well as their quality. The very simple packaging, a recyclable kraft bag, suits me perfectly. I am also happy to continue consuming local produce, but while saving a lot of time, as I no longer need to go to the market!

I wanted to subscribe my mother, who lives in the countryside, to introduce her to the concept, but unfortunately there was no collection point nearby. I was a bit disappointed... I hope there will be a collection point soon!

✅ In summary, I recommend Potager City for the quality of their fruits and vegetables and their commitment to supporting local producers, even though some products can be a bit pricey at times.

FAQs about Le Petit Ballon: I'm answering YOUR questions!

👉 In this section, I answer the questions you’ve asked me about Potager City. If you can’t find the answer to your query, feel free to ask me in the comments!

How to Place an Order on Potager City?

To place an order with Potager City, you must create an account. If you want to order specific products like fruits and vegetables, eggs, flour or sugar, you first need to have ordered a fruit and/or vegetable box. These are additional products that you can add to your weekly box.

Once you've selected your cart, simply go to the shop page while remaining logged in to add individual products.

How to change your box at Potager City?

The box you selected during your previous choice doesn't suit your needs? You can opt for a smaller or larger model, or one with different contents.

To do this, simply log in to your Potager City customer account, then go to the "ACCOUNT" section in the top right corner, and select "SUBSCRIPTION". You will then access a page that summarises the contents of your weekly order, with a button labelled "CANCEL / REPLACE". Just click on it to modify your basket for the week. 😉

How to access the recipes at Potager City?

Potager City offers dozens of guided recipes to help you cook with the fruits and vegetables from your baskets more easily. There are several options available for you to access them:

• Visit the Potager City YouTube channel to watch the step-by-step videos,
• On the homepage of the website, once logged in, click on "MY ACCOUNT" at the top right, then "RECIPE BOOK", and then "VIEW OUR RECIPES".
• From the app, go to the "RECIPES" tab.

👉 From the website and app, you can save your favourite recipes to revisit them later.

How to get a coupon or promo code for Potager City?

Potager City is offering you a 30% discount on your first order when you use the promo code "POTAGER" at checkout.

Does Potager City only offer organic products?

Not necessarily, as the start-up focuses on supporting local producers. The primary goal is to supply regional products. However, the aim is for as many of them as possible to operate organically, which is indeed the case.

The fruits and vegetables that do not originate from France (like bananas, kiwis, etc.) are mostly organic. The same goes for the grocery products you can add to your weekly shopping basket: sugar, flour, eggs ...

How Does Potager City’s Referral Program Work?

Would you like to introduce someone you know to our fruit and vegetable baskets? Potager City has a really attractive referral offer for you.

By going to the homepage of the site, then clicking on "MY ACCOUNT", followed by "REFERRAL", you will find a link that you can share with the person who wishes to place an order on the site.

If your godchild plays along, they will receive 3 discount codes that can be used on their first 3 orders:

• -50% off your first purchase,
• -20% off your second purchase,
• -10% off your third purchase.

🤑 You’ll also get a bonus as you’ll enjoy a 50% discount on your next order!

👉 The maximum amount for this discount is R15.

How to contact Potager City? 📞

Potager City does not have a telephone customer service, but you can get in touch with the team:

• through a form available on the website,
• via email at: framboise@potagercity.fr,
• on social media: Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Source: Potager City on Instagram (@potagercity)

How to unsubscribe from Potager City?

You can suspend your subscription in two different ways:

• Temporarily,
• Permanently.

🔸 How do I temporarily pause my subscription?

To do this, you will need to go to your "MY ACCOUNT" section while logged in, then navigate to "SUBSCRIPTION". After that, head over to "PLAN A SUSPENSION". Simply select the period during which you do not wish to receive a delivery. This is super handy for holidays! 🌴

🔸 How to cancel your Potager City subscription?

To do this, you need to follow the same process as before, which is to select "MY ACCOUNT", then "SUBSCRIPTION", but then choose "SUSPEND WITHOUT RESUMPTION".

If you wish to have your Potager City account deleted, please make your request directly to the team using the contact form.

👉 All these changes must be made no later than two days before the scheduled delivery of your order for them to be considered.

I hope this experience has inspired you to also try out Potager City. Please feel free to share your thoughts on this service in the comments; I would really love to hear from you! 😉