Wonky Box a growing concern
A food-waste business taking fresh fruit and veg rejected by big retailers because they’re ugly and making them available to families has started up in Auckland.
Wonky Box, founded in Wellington, aims to reduce food waste and help both consumers and growers by saving oddlooking fruit and vegetables from going to waste.
The subscription-based service collects fresh produce from growers that is perfectly usable but not accepted by larger retailers because of its size or shape.
Produce to consumers is always fresh, typically landing on customers’ doorsteps just 24-48 hours after leaving the farm.
Co-founders Angus Simms and Katie Jackson first noticed a gap in the market when they were travelling around New Zealand in their campervan, picking up the odd seasonal job on farms.
There they learned that fruit and vegetables that aren’t quite up to commercial standards get thrown away. They were shocked to see how much produce was going to waste.
Now the couple are on a mission to help as many families and local growers as possible, given it’s a cause they’re both extremely passionate about.
Simms says ‘‘We’ve had so much fun getting to know our customers and growers, and seeing the difference that Wonky Box is making, and with the feedback from Wellington so great, it seemed obvious to replicate our approach in Auckland’’.
With many Kiwis feeling the squeeze of the cost of living, Simms and Jackson have found a solution that provides fresh produce, without breaking the bank.
A Wonky Box costs $32 for 10-12 types of fruit and vegetables.
‘‘We felt that by expanding to Auckland, we could support other growers further afield who are facing similar challenges of food waste,’’ Simms says.
It’s estimated that up to 40% of food products are wasted on farms. Wonky Box is seeking to reinvent a broken supply chain and is bringing Kiwis closer to their farmers.
Export avocado grower Pakari Orchard, which works with Wonky Box, say they are pleased to see Kiwi consumers get their premium-quality produce at a fraction of the price.
‘‘Our partnership with
Wonky Box has provided us with an avenue for mis-shapen but still great-tasting premium avocados. It’s given our avocados that would have been made into oil a second chance,’’ says Pakari Orchard co-owner Alistair Niven.
‘‘It’s a great initiative that we’re proud to be a part of.’’