Box Divvy is taking its cheaper-produce model into Queensland as grocery pressure keeps pushing families to look beyond the supermarket aisle. The community food network will open its first five Queensland Hubs in Browns Plains, Kingston, Regents Park, Zillmere and Banyo, less than a year after expanding into Victoria. The launch adds Queensland to a network of more than 400 neighbourhood Hubs supporting almost 16,000 families across NSW, the ACT and Victoria. For Martina Rewha, who will run the Regents Park Hub, the model arrived at the right time. With a large family to feed, Rewha had already been looking for a way to buy better quality fruit and vegetables at a lower price. She had considered buying directly from markets and splitting larger orders with family and friends before discovering Box Divvy. “I just thought there must be a way we could get better quality fruit and vegetables, know where our produce was coming from and make it a bit cheaper for everyone,” Rewha said. “Then I discovered Box Divvy and realised it was basically what I’d been thinking about doing myself, but the whole model and supply network was already there. The produce is delivered to my house and I pack everyone’s individual orders ready for them to collect.” A Queensland price comparison conducted on August 17 found a basket of 21 fresh produce items cost $86.37 through Box Divvy, compared with $142.62 from an online supermarket. According to Box Divvy, that made its basket 39 per cent cheaper, with the Hubster fee included. Rewha already has 25 members signed up to her Regents Park Hub, largely through word of mouth and local community groups. “I’m so excited. It shows there are other families around here looking for the same thing,” Rewha said. Box Divvy started as a small street co-op run by husband-and-wife team Jayne Travers-Drapes and Anton van den Berg. It has since grown into a community-run food network connecting households with fresh produce, pantry staples and ethical suppliers through local Hubs. Members order online each week and collect from a Hub run by someone in their neighbourhood. There are no membership fees, but members are expected to place regular orders. The model is designed to reduce the time produce spends sitting in storage or moving through the supply chain before it reaches households. Members can also see where their food comes from, what suppliers are paid and how money is distributed through the supply chain. Co-founder Jayne Travers-Drapes said, “More and more Australians are looking beyond price alone and asking bigger questions about their food. Where did it come from? Who grew it? How much waste was created along the way? And who benefits from the dollars they spend? “Box Divvy gives people answers to those questions while helping create a food system that is fresher, fairer and more transparent.” The Queensland launch will be supported by Suncoast Fresh, which will handle fulfilment and delivery to the Hubs. Founded in Noosa in 2008, Suncoast Fresh now supplies customers across South East Queensland and Northern NSW, working directly with more than 40 local farms. The expansion comes as more households look for ways to manage grocery costs while still buying fresh produce. Box Divvy says recent research found food insecurity among its members dropped from 51 per cent to 28 per cent after joining, while fruit and vegetable consumption increased significantly. Co-founder Anton van den Berg said, “Box Divvy is about more than food. It’s about rebuilding the social fabric of communities. Our Hubs also create opportunities for people to earn additional income, support Australian growers and reconnect with their neighbours. In an increasingly disconnected world, those local connections matter more than ever.” Box Divvy is also looking for more Queenslanders interested in becoming Hubsters and earning additional income by running a Hub in their local community. Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.

Nespresso is sending coffee drinkers into the clouds at a new pop-up inside its Pitt Street boutique. Cloud World will take over The Nespresso Lab in Sydney from August 27, with free tastings, limited-edition drinks created in collaboration with expert mixologists from Sydney’s Maybe Sammy and a Saturday martini hour inspired by Nespresso’s new Vertuo World campaign featuring Dua Lipa. The experience centres on the brand’s Vertuo range and the new Vertuo Up machine, with guests able to try different blends, test coffee recipes and take home recipe cards. Nespresso Coffee Ambassador Monique Dean said, “We’re excited to welcome coffee lovers to Cloud World and see how easy it is to create elevated coffee recipes at home with Vertuo Up. “Coffee is increasingly becoming the base ingredient for some of the most imaginative and viral recipes online due to its versatility and rich, intense flavour. With Vertuo, it’s easy to get creative with more than 30 blends to explore and a consistent, high-quality extraction every time. No guesswork, just great taste.” The event series opens with Australian chef and television personality Khanh Ong hosting a one-night-only launch event on Thursday, August 27. Across two complimentary ticketed sessions, Ong will unveil a signature creation inspired by Vietnamese coffee traditions, available for that night only. After the launch, Cloud World will open for walk-ins from Thursday to Saturday, running from 10 am to 2 pm, until October 10 at The Nespresso Lab inside the Pitt Street Boutique. Nespresso coffee experts will also guide tastings to help guests find their preferred origin and roast, before turning selected coffees into limited-edition menu creations. The menu includes the Vacanza Queen Cloud Latte, a rich and bright serve aimed at Mont Blanc fans, and the Sicilian Wedding Lemonade, finished with cherry cold foam. Nespresso Martini Hour will run every Saturday in September from 3 pm to 7 pm. The complimentary ticketed sessions will feature: Vacanza Queen Cloud Latte – A rich and bright coffee serve aimed at Mont Blanc fans. Sicilian Wedding Lemonade – A celebratory coffee drink finished with cherry cold foam. Pop Star Martini – A salted maple twist on an Espresso Martini, served during Nespresso Martini Hour every Saturday in September. The Cloud World staging will also include pink fairy floss served through a window in the wall, because the coffee pop-up is clearly not trying to be subtle. Every registered guest attending ticketed Cloud World events where Two Good Co pairings are served will also trigger a Nespresso donation of one Two Good Co meal to a women’s refuge supporting women who have experienced homelessness and domestic violence. Entry to ticketed events is free, but bookings are required via the Nespresso website. Tickets for the week ahead go live every Monday at 12 pm, with limited capacity, and ticketed events are strictly for guests aged 18 and over. Source: Emotive Find more food culture updates on Crumb Wire.

Haigh’s Chocolates is opening its first Brisbane store this week, bringing the South Australian chocolate maker to Westfield Mt Gravatt. The store officially opens on Friday, August 28, on Level 2 next to MECCA, giving Queensland shoppers access to Haigh’s full retail experience, including artisan chocolates and complimentary in-store tastings. It is the first Brisbane store for Australia’s oldest family-owned chocolate maker, which has built a strong Queensland customer base online before moving into physical retail in the state. Haigh’s Chocolates Chief Executive Peter Millard said, “Since announcing that we were coming to Brisbane, we have had so many Haigh’s fans and online customers reaching out, asking where they can visit and when we will be open. That kind of anticipation tells you how much this moment means to them. “Queensland has been one of our strongest online markets for years so opening our first store at Westfield Mt Gravatt marks the start of establishing our bricks and mortar experience here, with Chermside and Carindale to follow in November. “The priority now is to deliver an amazing in-store experience that lives up to that excitement, giving the same exceptional personal service Haigh’s is renowned for.” Westfield Mt Gravatt is the first of three Brisbane openings planned for Haigh’s this year, with Chermside and Carindale stores set to follow in November. Westfield Mt Gravatt Centre Manager Kel Walsh said, “We’re delighted to welcome Haigh’s Chocolates to Westfield Mt Gravatt and celebrate the brand’s first store in Brisbane. “As one of Australia’s iconic chocolate makers, Haigh’s is a much-loved brand, and we’ve seen strong anticipation from customers ahead of the opening. We look forward to introducing more Brisbane customers to the premium quality and exceptional service that has made Haigh’s a favourite for generations.” Opening day will come with a few chocolate incentives. The first 50 customers to visit and make a purchase at the Mt Gravatt store will receive a free Milk Chocolate Midi Frog. Customers who spend $75 or more in-store will also receive a complimentary packet of Milk Chocolate Speckles, available from August 28 to September 4. Haigh’s Chocolates Mt Gravatt opens Friday, August 28 at Westfield Mt Gravatt. Source: Callie Find more food and drink news on Crumb Wire.

ALDI has won the Canstar Blue Supermarket Satisfaction Award for the ninth year running, becoming the only supermarket to hold the title for nine consecutive years since the awards began in 2011. It’s the chain’s fourteenth win overall in that time, having missed out only twice. Jordan Lack, Chief Commercial Officer at ALDI Australia, said, “Australians shouldn’t have to spend more to get high-quality products at the checkout. We’re incredibly proud to be recognised in this year’s Canstar Blue Most Satisfied Customer Awards for Supermarkets, reinforcing what ALDI customers already know: that exceptional quality and low prices can go hand in hand. “Being recognised by our customers for the ninth consecutive year is a fantastic achievement and reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering the quality and value Australians expect from ALDI.” ALDI attributes the win to three things: low prices, quality, and a growing range of extras beyond the weekly shop. “Our Price Promise is built on one simple commitment to Australians: ALDI won’t be beaten on the cost of their weekly shop. That’s why we’re continuing to lower prices across our range, giving customers more opportunities to save on everyday essentials. “Every price reduction, every efficiency and every decision we make is focused on helping Aussies get more value from every dollar they spend, thanks to our exceptionally low ALDI prices,” said Lack. The win comes as ALDI cuts prices across its meat, seafood and deli ranges, part of what it calls its ongoing commitment to value on the weekly shop. The supermarket claims it has put more than $170 million into permanent price reductions across more than 300 products, based on customer purchasing patterns and pricing over the past 12 months. Staples including bacon, sausages, beef silverside and lamb loin chops have come down by as much as 20 per cent. Eden Radford, Consumer Expert at Canstar, said, “Congratulations to ALDI for winning Canstar’s Most Satisfied Customers Award for Supermarkets for the ninth consecutive year, and fourteenth win overall.” “Canstar’s research shows households are keeping an extra close eye on their grocery budgets, with over 80 per cent making active changes to try and save on costs. It’s in this environment that ALDI has again proven it understands what shoppers want.” “ALDI has received Canstar’s customer satisfaction award because customers rated the supermarket highly across all categories, with particularly high ratings for value for money, own-brand product quality, store layout, and deals and specials available.” “Nine consecutive wins, decided by the opinion of customers, doesn’t happen by accident; it’s the result of consistently delivering on what Australians are looking for at the checkout.” ALDI points to other wins this year as evidence that the quality holds up beyond the discount reputation. Finder has also named it Australia’s best supermarket for meat in 2026, with the chain taking out 75 per cent of the meat categories in Finder’s own customer satisfaction awards. Its Lazzio Coffee has kept its own run of wins going, and Mamia Nappies were separately recognised among the best in the country. The supermarket has also been expanding its offering beyond groceries. ALDI Solar moved into South Australia and Western Australia this year, and its partnership with DoorDash grew to include Special Buys and liquor delivery. Find more food retail updates on Crumb Wire.