Rainbow Tomatoes Garden — Local services in Denver

Superb Retailer with Extensive Inventory

I learned about Rainbow Tomatoes Garden (RTG) from a canned fish aficionado on YouTube (Matthew Carlson), whose enthusiasm for canned fish was infectious and inspired me to explore the world of "conservas" with RTG. In short, RTG surpassed my expectations with their extensive inventory, careful packaging, speedy communications and delivery, and friendly and informed customer service.

RTG exemplifies how small retailers can perform the "middle man" function of retailing better than behemoths like Amazon and Walmart. People are fond of cutting out the middle man to avoid their mark ups, but good middle men or retailers earn their mark up by providing needful services to their customers.

1. RTG has a much broader and deeper selection of tinned seafood than Amazon or Walmart.

2. Amazon/Walmart often has helpful reviews, but the number of reviews can be overwhelming especially if they are conflicting and if some seem suspiciously inauthentic. RTG's inventory is not only large but seems well curated, i.e., they seem to be seeking brands and products that are well regarded by fish lovers, and they offer a lot of information to help one decide on purchases.

3. Big retailers may often be able to beat small retailers on price, but the customer service at RTG is worth the difference. My order was confirmed and shipped within hours of placing my order. They offered a multitude of payment methods. Most importantly, my tins were packaged with the greatest care and without the use of plastics. Though Amazon and Walmart do have convenient returns, too many times my items had to be returned because they were poorly packaged and suffered damage in transit. My package from RTG showed that they took every effort to make sure than everything arrived in good condition.

Amazon has succeeded because of their huge selection and great customer service, but their immensity does lead to some shortcomings at times, and small, niche retailers like RTG can thrive where Amazon falls short. The even greater selection at RTG together with the responsiveness, friendliness, passion, and integrity of their customer service will make me a repeat customer for many...

TL;DR Beautiful tins, packed beautifully by a wonderful small business. Slap down some money on "Surprise Me!" and you won't be disappointed.

A package arrived in the mail today that made me remember a time when getting a package was special. It arrived because someone, working almost alone probably in a house, put together a thoughtful selection of items in a beautiful way. Not an army of drones passing bins to a legion of underpaid and overworked hires to drop into a branded envelope with logo'd tape.

This package from Rainbow Tomatoes Garden contained fish in cans. Something that to me has only ever been a blue can with a cartoon tuna with a red hat. Here we have a selection of (to me) exotic foods that happen to be in tins. Beautiful tins with art that need not be so good I did not pick any of this.

A friend recommended me to RTG for the option to "Surprise me!" Which I did. I sent along an amount agreeable to me, and in return I get an email from the man whom would then pack my order. The transaction was even more novel, and therefore demonstrably thoughtful, because I had not yet paid. Dan sent me an email saying how much the total would be (he had to actually do the shipping math) and also was curious about how I ended up there. I told him, I paid up, and then a few days later the awesome package arrived.

See the picture to be stunned how amazingly packed a 5 5 and 6 cubed box can be filled. Not with bubble wrap and a packing slip. Newspaper! And serving cards and recipe cards, a booklet on eating tinned fish, and plenty of informative notes on, in, and around the cans.

Anyways, that's quite the little tale about a box of tinned fish. Spend some money, wait four instead of two days, and get a treat and...

I found Rainbow Tomatoes Garden through an online video and having never tried tinned fish before, took a gamble on their “A Free Lunch” in an attempt to find a high-protein and healthy fats source I could incorporate into my weekly routine. Dan at RTG responded to my desire to find something that wasn’t too fishy and promptly sent me a tin to try. Honestly, the tin wasn’t my favorite flavor but I did get me over the fear of tinned meat and I did find a way to eat the mackerel that I enjoyed! I placed an order again last month and asked Dan to surprise me with some new things to try (the “Surprise Me” option on their site). He didn’t disappoint and I’ve been enjoying trying some additional tins since!

What really blows me away about RTG is the personalization of their services, the competitive costs, and their sustainable packaging. Dan responds once you place your order to let you know that he’s working on it and will send it out soon. Unlike other online shopping services, you pay after you place your order so they can calculate shipping costs and you pay the exact shipping costs, rather than a blanket cost. Tins arrive quickly and are clearly packed with love.

My favorite part about RTG is that they tuck pairing/serving suggestions in with your tins. I am still experimenting to determine which tins I like or don’t like but will continue to buy from RTG for the excellent service, knowledge that I’m supporting a small business that is passionate about what they do, and that my environmental footprint is a touch smaller while getting to do both...