Box Divvy Oatley - Glen

09/02/2025

Valentine’s Day: Friday 14th February
Chocolate and Wine. Yum!

In previous years, we haven’t really done anything special to celebrate Valentine’s – but this year is different:

For starters, we’re putting our toes in the water with an alcohol-free wine offering. We’re starting off with a sparkling prosecco called Tread Softly 'Everything Except' Prosecco. Independent reviews are raving about this one – as well as the Tread Softly 'Everything Except' Rose. The Prosecco delivers “fizz without the fuzz. This is crisp with citrus flavours and finishes with cleansing acidity”. And at $13 a bottle, you won’t get them cheaper anywhere else in Sydney.

You’ll find them under Drinks ➡️ Wine
The Tread Softly 'Everything except' range is a contemporary range of wines seeking to deliver delicious, intensely flavoured wines that are naturally medium weighted and Zero in alcohol. By using more sustainable vineyard management and wine-making techniques to ensure their production has had a minimal impact to the environment.

Made by using the high vacuum low pressure distillation method, this range of zero alcohol wines are hand-crafted using only high-quality grapes from South Australian vineyards ensuring the wines remain vibrant and full-flavoured.

Tread Softly is committed to reducing their carbon footprint and so commits to planting an Australian Native Tree for every 6 bottles sold.

What complements a zesty wine better than …chocolate!? This is one of the most requested products since we introduced the Product Poll, and we’re giving you choices:

* Paddington Lane is made in Australia and produces anything from a Milk Choc & Rocky Road to Dark Choc coated ginger. They range in price from around $6 to $9 a bag.
* Alter Eco is a brand we’ve been testing for a while: although it’s made in Switzerland, and we like the values it stands for: they are close to 100% fair trade, they’re organic, GM-free, low on waste and strong on regenerative farming with an emphasis on restoring nature by planting trees. But what are we talking?

We just love their chocolate! And this week, they are discounted by 15-25%.
• You’ll find them under Snacks & Entertainment ➡️ Chocolate.

08/02/2025

In the news again but this time for ideas for Chinese New Year.

Food, family, and the Year of the Snake will be celebrated from Wednesday, January 29, 2025, to Wednesday, February 12, 2025. This year highlights wisdom, mindfulness, and connection. In this interview, co-founder Jayne Travers-Drapes, shares insights on delicious dishes you can prepare to join in the festivities.

Fresh Ideas for Celebrating the Year of the Snake

https://www.thetimes.com.au/food-dining/37955-fresh-ideas-for-celebrating-the-year-of-the-snake

08/02/2025

Chinese New Year

Jo, the West Ryde Hubster has gone all out with her Lo Bak Go - Radish Cake recipe for Chinese New Year.
https://youtube.com/shorts/Iw-abEIWZX0

Plus a wonderful showing for Chinese New Year a the Growers Shed at Sydney Markets plus some shots of an amazing drone showing at Darling Harbour. Technology is fascinating.
https://youtube.com/shorts/6_tejO6FlZg

07/02/2025

Bad weather impacting fresh produce supply

We try not to get too comfortable or complacent, after a good run of benign growing conditions – but growers in several regions find themselves again at the mercy of a bout of extreme weather.

Victoria experienced heatwaves, with the mercury reaching 40 C and higher several times in the past month. Berries, baby spinach and mesclun were the main casualties, so these will continue to be pricey – or unavailable.

However, north Queensland farmers copped it worse: some areas near Townsville have received over 1000mm of rain – and the end is not yet in sight. This will have both short- and medium-term impacts:
• Transport is the main challenge right now: the Bruce Hwy is closed, and banana growers are unable to ship fruit to markets in Brisbane and Sydney. Expect prices to tighten for at least a few weeks. There has been some damage to banana trees – mainly waterlogged and keeling over – but the scale is still unclear.
• Bananas are not the only fruits impacted: we’ve had to take papaya and lychees off due to poor quality. Luckily, pineapples, limes and passionfruit are from south-east Queensland growing regions and have largely escaped the wet.
• Next up are Shepards avocadoes which are due for harvesting about now. Lack of transport and water damage will cause delays and may see Hass avocadoes tightening up.
• Lemons will be tight for several weeks, whilst it’s still unclear how much damage has been caused to mandarin crops in and around Gayndah, which are due for picking from about April.
• Planting of several winter crops – from tomatoes to capsicums and eggplant – would normally have started by now, but will be delayed for at least several weeks. This means we could see shortages in May/June.

06/02/2025

If all of that that got you a little stressed, check out this video: it claims that watching it reduces stress levels by 17%, according to unsourced research. (However, if you are a cabbage, this is certain to raise your stress levels…).

George Portelli is still supplying $2 cabbages this week, and although we don’t suggest you feed this to your guinea pig or hamster, you may wish to share some – and see if that makes you feel less stressed…

Or wok cooking is relaxing. Just chop and chuck it in with some or the new Asian sauces.

05/02/2025

Rising cancer among under 50’s: what’s behind it?

Some of the culprits that increase the chance of colorectal cancer include:

*Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs), especially when these foods make up as much as half of our diet. The issue lies both with the degree of processing - for example fractioning and hydrogenation that alter the molecular structure of food and makes it more difficult for the body to metabolise – as well as the industrially produced ingredients such as artificial flavours, preservatives and emulsifiers.

*Excessive amounts of sugar and saturated fats, again found in UPFs – but also ready-to-eat meals and takeaway food

*Some artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, still used in Diet Coke and other No Sugar drinks

*Nitrates used as preservatives, especially in smallgoods (cold meats).

The risk is low when consumed in moderation, but the problem is that these ingredients are so widespread one needs to account for the cumulative effects.

For more detail, check out the full article.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/jan/26/ultra-processed-food-forever-chemicals-declining-birth-rates-whats-behind-rising-cancer-in-the-under-50s?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Research into the disease has never been more far-reaching, but there is little consensus as to what is causing the rocketing rates of diagnosis in young adults

05/02/2025

Nectarines

Another favourite: nectarines. They’ve been unbelievably sweet, and so is the price: $3.64 a kilo.

04/02/2025

Salad time!

The weather forecast is warm and sunny, and that can mean only one thing: salad weather. George Portelli is bringing baby gem lettuces for 85c a head. Slice some red capsicum and Lebanese cucumber into the salad bowl: they’re both $4.50 a kilo.

Sprinkle some chopped shallots from Simon Chong - $1.60 a bunch. And finally, halve some baby truss tomatoes and chuck them in: $2.25 a bunch.

04/02/2025

White grapes

We had white seedless grapes in the video 2 weeks ago, but they are sooooo good, we’re repeating them – and this week, they’re even cheaper: $5.49 a kilo.

03/02/2025

What never tasted Dragonfruit? or are you completely in love with them?

Happy Lunar New Year! It’s the Year of the Snake – but not a snake bean in sight! Oh well, let’s stick to dragon fruit instead: they’re $4.50 a pop, and ***probably*** red.

03/02/2025

Market Update

Market update

Fruit

The Mango season is finished, but the new apple and pear season is starting up:
• New season Royal Gala have arrived
• Clapps pears are done, but Williams are replacing them. Prices should come down over the next few weeks.
In tropicals, large Panama passionfruit, small topless pineapples and papaya are still amazing value. A flash of bananas is bringing prices down, but this is likely to be short-lived.

It’s also peak melon season: rockmelons from Hay have started – probably the best growing region in Australia because rockmelons love the arid climate of inland NSW. Dino melons are continuing another week, and to boot: seedless watermelons are still under $1.50 a kilo.

Apricots are finished, but the rest of the stone fruit category is brilliant value – especially plums, cherries and nectarines. Seedless grapes are at their lowest price this season, but berries are still doing it tough: supply remains tight and prices high.


Vegetables

Among the vegetables, Reeds have finished, Shepards are still a week away, and yet Hass prices have eased – below $3 now: hardly cheap, but better than last week.

Beans, snow peas and sugar snap are a little cheaper than last week, but corn remains tight as both Coles and Woolworths are keeping it on special and are chasing any available stock.

George Portelli has loads of small green cabbages – we sold nearly 1000 last week, we suspect they were shared with hamsters and guinea pigs – but red cabbages are tight. Most other brassicas – from broccoli to kale – are good value.
Cucumbers and capsicums are coming down in price, tomatoes are still cheap and Charlie Vella’s continental eggplant, zucchini and J*P pumpkins are well-supplied and priced, whilst Simon Chong is reporting that most leafy greens have survived the heat, except for rocket. By contrast, shallots are super cheap.

Lettuces are well supplied, especially George Portelli’s Baby Gem lettuce at 85c. Looks like Salad Days are Here Again.

https://ow.ly/EEAM50URWYg

02/02/2025

Just to add to the Asian range.

• Kara Coconut Cream: unlike the H2G organic coconut cream, the Kara contains an emulsifier which prevents the cream and liquid from separating. It’s also almost a dollar cheaper.
• Maesri Sweet Chilli Sauce for well, anything really…
• Several sauces that can be used either as a dip or noodle sauce:
o Sukiyaki is perfect for hotpots or as a dip with vegetables, meat and seafood
o Spring roll sauce is great over…spring rolls. (The rice paper to make your own spring rolls is currently out-of-stock at the supplier, but we expect to have it listed by the end of this month.
o Pad Thai sauce for making the perfect …Pad Thai.
You will find the new Asian range in Marketplace under International Foods ➡️ Asian.

02/02/2025

Rice noodles are now available, including Pad Thai noodles and thin vermicelli for stir-fries, soups and salads.

02/02/2025

Wow! a NEW range. Asian food cooking. This will really ramp up the deliciousness. It has a Thai theme to it.

Mae Ploy produces a range of Thai curry pastes: green, red, Penang and Massaman. These are authentic curry pastes that you would expect in a good Thai restaurant – and now available to the home cook. And at a fraction of the cost of a restaurant meal: the 400g tubs contain 8 serves of 50g each. (You don’t want to use more because they are spicy, so dilute with a can of coconut cream).

The Box Divvy price for the 400g tub is $4.11, one of the lowest prices in Sydney. (Most shops sell these around $5 or more). That works out at 51c per meal, or 13c per serve. Just add protein or vegetables, some fresh coriander and bingo!

Get going and start sharing recipes or we'd love you to share a photo of your cooking delights.

22/01/2025

It's Thursday and Broccolini has.....

supply is up – so you benefit: just $2.50 a bunch.

22/01/2025

Nothing like an Aussie Farmer.

Let us support lettuce from Manual Cos he's a fabulous farmer.

Manual Xerri in Agnes Banks has loads of Cos lettuce: just $2 a head.

22/01/2025

Watermelon

Oooo half price at Box Divvy.

Seedless watermelon is $2.50 a kilo in Colesworth – but literally half price at Box Divvy: $1.25 a kilo from the Vellas in Freemans Reach.

21/01/2025

And now for something completely different.

Dino Melon

If you think this looks like a dinosaur egg, you’re not alone – which is probably why they called it the Dino Melon. Very sweet, pretty big and just $2.97 ea.