I don't have a veg box delivery each week. Or a meat box. But I have just had a fresh fish delivery and I plan to consider it a worthwhile indulgence for my family from now on. Here's why...

THE FRESHNESS!

When I buy fish from supermarkets I feel compelled to eat it almost immediately, or definitely that night, to ensure it's eaten at its best as I don't really know how long it was since it came out of the sea. I used thecornishfishmonger.co.uk, which guarantees the catch will come from the quayside to your door within 24 hours - and the fish was fantastically fresh. I think it smelt, looked and tasted far better than fish I usually see in London supermarkets. Mine arrived on a Friday and on Sunday we were still confident that it was very, very fresh.

IT BRINGS OUR FAMILY TOGETHER

I told my kids: 'We're getting loads of fresh fish for dinner!', and I think I generated a certain excitement. We rarely eat together these days but they headed to the table to eat with us for our big fish fest on Saturday night. We had haddock and cod and lemon sole and king prawns - and it was just wonderful. It was great to offer the kids a bit of selection instead of saying, 'We're having blah,' to which they usually think (and often say) 'I don't like blah!'. Plus there was loads to go round.

IT MAKES ME FEEL CONNECTED TO THE REAL WORLD

I'm talking about the world where fishermen head out to sea and catch things. At one point my order was delayed because it was too windy for the fishermen to go out. Now while I'm sure it's a right pain for the fisherman, I quite liked the idea that what I had for dinner was dependent on the weather. And I was quite happy to have egg on toast that night and wait until the wind died down.

MY CONSCIENCE IS CLEAR

I don't like quizzing fishmongers on where they get their produce. I find it embarrassing, accusatory and, er, just not nice. But I do care about fish stocks and I want to be able to eat it still in twenty years time. So I liked the fact that I knew my fish box contents were responsibly sourced. Thecornishfishmonger.co.uk, which over the years has supplied the same fish to Rick Stein, Marco Pierre White, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall and Mitch Tonks, prides itself on its active sustainability projects. Big thumbs-up.

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HOW TO COOK IT: see our gorgeous fish recipes

A fresh fish collection box from containing ten portions costs £36 plus £7.95 for UK mainland delivery. Not cheap, but cheaper than taking us all out for dinner and, in my opinion, just as much of a treat.