Food boxes made to order with care | MARKETS PROFILE

I have been running Boxagreens for close to 10 years.

We are a family owned and operated mixed fruit and vegetable box delivery service that supply families and businesses.

We also supply deluxe fruit hampers with an amazing selection of fruit.

What sets you apart from your competitors?

We are a family business, and my husband supplies the produce through his market wholesaling business.

While we aren't a large delivery business, I am also not just a mum going out to the market and sourcing produce myself.

We have the expertise and inside knowledge of the industry behind the business which we pass on to our customers - in fact, my husband lives and breathes it.

What do you specialise in?

We want to provide quality produce, with both my husband Bruno and myself coming from an Italian background, quality and flavour are extremely important to us and we share this with our customers.

We want them to taste the difference.

I have also evolved the boxes to include three swaps per box from our shopping list to allow for our customers' personal preferences.

They can also design their own box.

Where do you source your produce from?

All our produce is sourced by my husband, Bruno, at the market through his wholesaling business and his long term contacts out there.

Who are your customers?

Our box customers are mainly families, and a handful of corporates like real estate agents who like an attractive selection of fruit to display.

Many of our customers are long term, of course through COVID we experienced a huge spike in sales however that has levelled out now.

We are experiencing peaks and troughs with current challenging economic conditions.

Where do you deliver?

We deliver to all of the Hills district, the northern part of Greater Western Sydney.

How did you get into the fruit and veg business?

I originally had a corporate job in sales and marketing. Then I had my third son, and decided that I didn't want to return to the corporate world part-time.

My husband is a wholesaler at the Sydney Markets, and worked there for about 28 years, the third generation with fresh produce in his blood with his parents and grandparents owning farms and retail stores when they arrived from Italy.

It was an easy transition for me to start the business, and a great way for me to combine my experience of sales and marketing with my love of fresh produce.

I had also been casually supplying friends and family with fresh produce that my husband brought home over the years. It just made sense as a business and here I am almost 10 years later.

What is your favourite thing about the market and the industry?

I'll be honest, I don't have to get up early and go to the market; my husband does that and he loves it.

Personally, as a passionate cook and foodie, I really enjoy working with fresh, healthy produce.

What's changed in the box delivery sector over the years?

It's a tough industry and I've seen a lot of delivery businesses start up and fall. Operationally I have had to get smarter.

The upheaval of COVID propelled me to develop a smarter online platform which continues to support the business into the future.

What is the key to a successful business?

Communication, unlike some of our competitors who rely solely on online ordering, I actually speak with our customers.

I love to communicate with them, to share recipes, and encourage them to try things they haven't eaten before.

It's important for me to encourage to people to cook fresh food from scratch, it tastes amazing and doesn't need to be difficult.

When you have fantastic seasonal produce it's best to keep it simple and let the produce shine in a dish.

I like to keep the business very community focussed, so I love working with local businesses such as the lady who makes bliss bombs and our honey guy.

I really aim to create that old fashioned fruit shop vibe that we experienced when we were kids.

What are some of the highlights of the business?

I enjoy the sales and marketing side of the business the most, however when you own and run a business you have to wear a thousand hats and that includes the logistics and packing boxes.

What does the future hold for the fruit and vegetable industry?

We always say everyone has to eat, but not everyone has the same interpretation of this.

We just have to adapt to what our customers want and keep promoting the benefits of fresh seasonal produce and healthy eating.

Sign up here to Good Fruit and Vegetables weekly newsletter for all the latest horticulture news each Thursday...