Box Divvy Lindfield - Burraga

23/02/2024

Market action!

Fruit
- Most fruit is again good value – nectarines, kiwi berries, nashi pears, Royal Gala, grapes, figs, limes, rockmelon, watermelon, Packham pears, passionfruit and even strawberries are either cheap or very reasonably priced.
- The apples season is picking up pace, with new season Fuji apples available now.
- In mangoes, Honeygolds are finished – but late season Keitt
mangoes will go on for a few more weeks. To be honest, a few
years ago we would not have touched them with a 10-foot barge
pole, but the Keitt variety has much approved and actually tastes
pretty good.

Vegetables
- As foreshadowed last week, we’re pausing Hass and we’re going for Shepards. Where Hass is nutty, Shepards are buttery. Oh, and almost half-price (80c). We’re not sure how long this will last, as the
overlap between Hass and Shepards is bigger than usual – so
stock up!
- Best value vegetables are the same suspects as last week: corn,
cucumbers, celery, beetroot, Roma tomatoes, Sebago, zucchini, lettuce, pumpkin, potatoes and onions.
- Unfortunately, our push with the loose asparagus was moderately unsuccessful, with unreliable supply for most of the week. We think that may be the end of the asparagus season until September.
- Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, beans and red capsicum supply remain problematic – so don’t expect any price relief anytime soon. Washed potato quality has also deteriorated markedly, so we’re going for a better – and more expensive – grade.
- George Portelli is picking silverbeet, but wombok is out –
and so is rocket.
- Manuel Xerri will have green cabbage again, but at a
price.

04/01/2024

Market action!

Best value in fruit:
- Blueberries, Panama passionfruit (97c), limes, peaches, nectarines, and all melons (watermelon is $1.79/Kg, but please note: they weigh close to 7kg).
- Panama passionfruit from Queensland swings into 97 cents each. Panamas are slightly larger and are jam packed with pulp.
- Bananas, lychees and grapes are slowly coming down in price, but lemons, apricots and even plums are pricy.
- We also have fresh new season figs (still a tad pricy)
- Rockmelon, sweet as, from Hay in Western NSW and white Honeydew melon both only $2.69 each.
- Limes are a rich source of Vitamin C. They just make food jump. Try on a Papaya and it really brings out the flavour.
- This time of year these berries are fresh, fresh, fresh. At $3.47 a punnet. Everyone likes them – even the dog.

Best value in veg:
- Beans, broccoli and cauliflower are scarce thanks to heavy rain in the Lockyer Valley – but most local supply managed to dodge the hail storms
- Charlie Vella has loads of eggplant under $3 a kilo,
- George Portelli has baby gems (a little smaller than usual, but only
80c each), small green cabbages ($2.47) and small wombok ($2)
- Manual Xerri is bringing in zucchini, corn (clean cobs for 93c), white radish and spring onions
- Steve Grima has a lot of spaghetti squash (see below), and we’re expecting cucumbers, snake beans (a great alternative to the expensive green beans) and grape tomatoes from Golden Fields.
- If you’ve not tried this then here’s your chance. If you’ve kids they will love this.
- Charlie’s eggplant hasn’t stopped growing over the holiday season, so he now has a bit of an over-supply situation. Help him out – and help yourself what is probably the lowest eggplant
price this year (they’re $5.90/kg in Coles).

14/12/2023

Market action!

- Shepherds Mince Fruit pies. Gluten-free, no nasties. Last week to order them.
- Pumpkins have expensive this past month, since that massive hailstorm in the Lockyer Valley smashed thousands of pumpkins – just as they were ready to go to market. Other growing regions in NSW are stepping in to bolster supply, and prices have dropped by more
than $1 per kg overnight.
- Dutch carrots grown by Steve Grima in Horsley Park, perfectly timed for Christmas. Roast in the oven with some garlic and balsamic vinegar, or pan-fried in Norco butter with some 2 Pops Macadamia Honey: yum.
- Tomatoes: They are ALL good. It’s that time of year when they have had plenty of sunshine and have
sweetened up. How about some bruschetta, or a tomato-Bocconcini salad?
- Cos lettuce from George Portelli: $1.50 a head.
- Choice of spuds: Dutch Cream and Royal Blue, in addition to our regular varieties. Dutch Cream is best for mashing and roasting. Royal Blue is a great allrounder: bake, roast, mash or fry.
- Onions have come down in price: Brown: $2.29/Kg, Red: $2.98/kg.

23/11/2023

Market action!

New products:
- Shepherd’s are cranking up the fruit mince pies for Christmas: gluten-free, no nasties, cheaper than Baker’s Delight. What’s not to like?
- ECOKAPS cleaning products were a hit this week. One more week of trialling. We’re taking 10% off the already low price for one more week (until the end of November). That means:
- The kits will be $9.90 incl GST (regular price $11)
- The refills will be $5.94 incl GST (regular price $6.60)
- REMINDER Belicious Christmas Gift Pack Available now on Marketplace > Pantry > Herbs & Spices > Marinades and Seasonings.

Best value in fruit:
- Local peaches and nectarines – from Maroota and Bilpin down to Tumbarumba – are starting to come onto the market, bringing prices down to $4.80 Kg. They’re not only a good size, they also eat superbly.
- Apricots are not far behind. They usually have a short season – come and gone by Christmas or mid-January at the latest – so tuck in right now: they’re under $5.82 a kilo.

Best value in veg:
- Lebanese cucumbers seem to have an endless supply - and Kim and Laks from Golden Fields are doing their bit. We expect them to come in around $2.95 a kilo this week.
- Roma tomatoes are having a funny season: very short supply early on when one large grower in Bowen pulled out of the market, but other growers are stepping in and prices are getting back to normal – around $5.60 a kilo.
- Thanks to the cooler weather, local broccoli supply is still going strong. The rosettes are a little bigger than normal, but we think the prices will be a little smaller: around $3.90 a kilo.

16/11/2023

Market action!

Best value in fruit:
- Cherry growers around Young and Orange have had a tough few years, but this year things are looking up. So far. So supply is up – and prices are pretty reasonable. How’s $13.50 a kilo sound? We believe they’re still $20 in the supermarkets…

Best value in veg:
- The local avocado season in Scott’s Head might be coming to an end, but Mildura is taking over – so get your avos for 79c each.
- Mushrooms remain well supplied, so they’ll be $8.90 a kilo this week. Full of potassium: good for lowering blood pressure.
- The asparagus season still has a few weeks to run, so get some whilst you still can: $1.25 a handful this week.
- Raymond Camilleri in Castlereagh has plenty of zucchini this week for $3 a kilo.
- Watermelon prices continue to ease: this week, expect to pay around $1.90 a kilo.
- Golden Beetroot $2.88 a kilo from local grower Steve Grima. Sweeter than normal beetroot and great in salads, roasted and in stir-fry.

09/11/2023

Market action!

Best value in fruit:
- Blueberries are up, strawberries are good, but raspberries are even better this week: $3 a punnet, they taste great and they last.
- The Great Pineapple Shortage is coming to an end, judging by the volumes flowing onto the market. Topless fruit, good size, $2.50 a pop.
- KP’s will be scarce for a few weeks, so we’ll instead go for R2E2 mangoes. They’re firmer with a pink glow. Only $2.90 each.

Best value in veg:
- Another one that keeps getting cheaper: baby Q’s. They’re $2.25 a serve this week.
- Manuel Xerri has leeks everywhere. We mean, the culinary variety. Help him out: buy some for $1.39 each, and here are 37 ways to use them.
- Iceberg Lettuce nothing fresher than into a salad, into a wrap, into the lunch box. Only $2 each.
- Baby truss tomatoes are feeling the heat from the grape and rainbow medleys, so their price has now also dropped: to $2.76 a serve.

03/11/2023

Market action!

- 2 Pops Macadamia Honey: short season, limited supply!
- Pastoral Hams: Australia’s most awarded hams. Available for pre-order (next 2 weeks).

Best value in fruit:
- Cheery cherries. Get them in 2kg boxes for only $39.56 – that’s less than $20 a kilo. Or if you prefer 500gm loose then $12.42. And the season has only just started…
- Rockmelons are also in abundance: pick one up this week for $2.50 apiece.

Best value in veg:
- Lebanese cucumbers just love this weather: warm during the day and cool at night. Kim and Laks from Golden Fields can barely keep up on their Wallacia farm. They say: sell ‘m cheap, eat a lot. So there you have it: $2.50 a kilo.
- How about some refreshing coleslaw this week? Get yourself a green cabbage from Manuel Xerri for just $2.76 each, add some celery, carrots and shallots – and a creamy Beerenberg dressing – and lunch is done!
- Truss tomatoes this week are only $4.45/kg.
- Celery for $2.25 a head.

19/10/2023

Market action!

- Halloween Pumpkin Cob from Shepherds:
For 2 weeks only, Shepherds is bringing back their Halloween Pumpkin Cob. This 400g cob is fun to eat as is, but even better fun when hollowed out and filled with a pumpkin dip. It’s available this week only for just $5.90 (reduced from $6.30).

Best value in fruit:
- Rockmelon numbers are starting to pick up: we reckon this week, good-sized rockies will be $3 each – and beautiful eating too.
- Blueberries are also in abundance this week as are strawberries: expect to pay around $2.50 a punnet.
- Afourer mandarins just keep coming, and prices are tumbling to $2.25 a kilo.

Best value in veg:
- Beans are great value this week and lots of them. $3.90 Kg
- Baby Q’s are not only super sweet, but also super cheap. We expect them to drop to just $2 a serve. At this rate, they’ll soon be as cheap as regular cucumber!
- Sticking with the baby theme: baby gems cos hearts are back, at just 95c a pop. Grown by the Vella family in Bargo.
- Something to add to the greens on your life, Silverbeet. Sooo full of goodness. At $1.50 a bunch great value.

05/10/2023

Best value in fruit:
- Growers are telling us to expect good volumes of mango over the next few weeks, but there will be a dire shortage from late October. So, make hay whilst the sun shines: good-sized KP mangoes for
$2.95 a pop.
- Watermelons are a tad pricey, so let’s go for rockmelon and the super-sweet honeydew gold this week: $3.50 each. (They’re $7 to $8 in Coles and Woolies).
- Supply is still good, and they are delicious. $2.40 a punnet.

Best value in veg:
- Kim and Laks have one week’s worth of Sugarsnap peas left on the vines: they’re yours for $11 a kilo.
- The warm weather has brought on the Baby Q’s: plastic-free and just $2.25 a serve. Just in time for back-to-school lunch boxes.
- Pumpkin prices are all over the place: they’ll be dear for Halloween – at the end of the month – but right now, J*P pumpkins will be $1 a kilo.

28/09/2023

Market action!

Best value in fruit:
- The Packham pear season has a few more weeks of good supply, and after that we’ll be rationed. So whilst the going is still good, get some at $2.50 a kilo.
- The pineapple shortage we’ve had over the past couple of months is starting to ease: good-sized pines with top should be $3 each this week.

Best value in fruit:
- ANY lettuce is in abundance right now. However, our pick is Iceberg: $2 a head.
- And pretty well anything you can put on a salad is cheap as well: red capsicums at $4.50 a kilo, Baby Q’s $2.50 a punnet, avocados 91c a pop, and so on.
- And when you don’t feel like a salad, cook up some asparagus for $1.50. Thanks a bunch!

14/09/2023

Market action!

Best value in fruit:
- The stone fruit season is still about 6 weeks away, so apples are here to stay – at least for a little while. This week’s star apple is Granny Smith: crunch, sweet and tart, for $2.95 a kilo.
- Berries continue to be great value – and blueberries in particular: $2.75 a punnet this week.
- To top it off a Spring tropical delicious pineapple with tops. Just the tops at $2.95 each.
- The rockmelon season is, well…rocking along! The fruit is eating so well, and at $3 a pop, simply order some now, and then rock up to your Hub in a couple of days’ time for pick-up.

Best value in veg:
- Charlie’s son Daniel Vella in Freemans Reach will be picking as many cauliflowers as he can lay his hands on, and we will be buying every single one. They’re yours for $2.70 a pop.
- Butternut prices have collapsed overnight, with supplies coming from several growing regions including Bowen in North Qld. Pay no more than $1.50 a kilo for good-sized pumpkins.
- Snacking tomatoes all less than $3 per serve.
- Broad beans are available in spring and early summer. The early pods are the sweetest – and can be coked straight out of the pod, without having to skin them first. And at $7.80 a kilo, they’re good value this early in the season.
- Jalapenos are pretty mild – even the price: $9 a kilo – about one-third of the Coles price.
- Whilst Coles might be selling fresh turmeric for $50 a kilo – making it a target for shoplifting – Box Divvy’s fresh turmeric is just $25 a kilo.

07/09/2023

Market action!

Best value in fruit:
- Imperial mandarins are getting to the end of the season – and we can get only small fruit – but Afourers will be around for another month or so. They’re out Pick of the Week: large, juicy, sweet, seedless, not hard to peel – and only $2 a kilo. Don’t miss out.
- Blood oranges have not only got more colour than a few weeks ago, they’re also cheaper – down to $2.88 a kilo.

Best value in veg:
- Speaking of colour and cheap: capsicums are down to $4 a kilo – red or green.
- Cherry tomatoes are tightening up gain, but loose baby truss tomatoes are in peak supply: $2.45 a serve, and no plastic!
- Avocadoes are now sourced from Coffs in the north to Mildura in the south. Good-sized fruit that hasn’t been gassed, so it’ll take a little longer to ripen – but when they’re ripe, they’ll hold so much longer compared with supermarket avos. Oh, and down to 90c this
week.
- Baby truss tomatoes, avocadoes, some cucumber – this calls for a lettuce. George Portelli has got you covered with his baby gems for 90c a pop.

31/08/2023

Market action!

New this week:
- 4 th September is National Macadamia day. To celebrate, we’ve put macadamias on special at $19.50 for a 500g bag.
- In fruit, we’re switching to purple passionfruit as they are now good value (90c each), but this flush may only last a week or 2 before supply dries up again.
- Also, pineapple is back – but still pricey at $4.50 each. Prices are expected to moderate over the next month.
- In vegetables, Charlie Vella has excellent supply of Savoy cabbage. They’re sweeter and milder tasting than the regular green cabbage, and the crinkly leaves make them less dense. They’re not always available, and when they are, they are expensive (the mini-Savoy in Coles is $6.90 – ouch!) but Charlie can offer them for $2.50 each.
- He is also picking zucchini flowers for the next few weeks: a
punnet of 6 flowers for $5. (Harris Farm is selling punnets of
8 for $12 – almost double the Box Divvy price). Stuff them
with feta, pinenuts, ricotta or any filling that takes your fancy, dip in some batter and deep-fry. Delish!
- You know Spring is not far away when you see fresh, Australian-grown asparagus. Grown in Mildura, they are supplied loose. A (c.200g) handful is $3.60, and will come down over the
next few weeks.
- And before you know it, it’s … summer squash time! Yes, it’s on this week for $6.84 a kilo. Cook it like you would zucchini: bake, roast, blanch or steam.

Best value in fruit:
- The blueberry season took its time to get started, but now that it’s warming up, the picker are going gangbusters. Pay no more than $3 a punnet for the very best berries.
- Not wanting to be left behind, Pink Lady growers are dropping their prices to …$2.75 a kilo. It’s our most popular apple – no more so than this week.

Best value in veg:
- It’s Peak Lettuce this week, thanks to good growing conditions – and Xerri brothers are offering their regular Cos lettuce for just $1 apiece. Let me repeat: Cos lettuce at a dollar each.
- Spring weather also brings on sugar snap peas, and Kim & Laks are picking as fast they can. And at $9.90 a kilo, they’ll need to pick fast.
- Luckily, Kim and Laks have the extended family helping out: they are also picking cherry tomatoes at $2.00 a punnet.
- Charlie Vella has excellent supply of Savoy cabbage. They’re sweeter and milder tasting
than the regular green cabbage, and the crinkly leaves make them less dense. They’re not always available, and when they are, they are expensive (the mini-Savoy in Coles is $6.90 –
ouch!) but Charlie can offer them for $2.50 each.
- Charlie has again a lot of zucchini flowers: a punnet of 6 flowers is $5. (Harris Farm is selling punnets of 8 for $12 – almost double the Box Divvy price). Stuff them with feta, pinenuts, ricotta or any filling that takes your fancy, dip in some batter and deep-fry.

24/08/2023

Market action!

New this week:
- The Cara Cara have finished – so we’re back to regular Navels.
- KP mangoes started last week at $6 each, but have dropped
to $4.80 this week.
- George Portelli in Maroota is picking fresh-stem garlic (4 bulbs to a bunch for $3.60 a bunch), as well sweet and crunchy Cosberg ($1.20 a head).
- Kim and Laks from Golden Fields have started picking Grape Tomatoes again, which had been off the menu for several months.

Best value in fruit:
- This could be the last week for Imperial mandarins, and they’ve certainly kept the best for last: they’re small but intensely sweet – and just $2.50 a kilo.
- Staying with citrus: Navel oranges are in peak supply, and good-sized fruit won’t cost you more than $1.25 a kilo.

Best value in vegetables:
- We’ve had a tough few months with mushroom supply, but it’s starting to ease – and prices are dropping below $10 a kilo this week.
- Zucchini continues to be cheap at $2.50 a kilo.
- Whilst Roma tomatoes remain scarce, field tomatoes are just $3 a kilo.

Fathers'Day specials:
- Nice Kitty Father’s Day Hamper: not only for vegan Dads
The 600g box contains: 2 Peanut butter bars, 1 Fig bar, 1 Chocolate brownie, 2 Peanut butter caramel slice, 1 Chocolate Fudge bite, 2 mini rounds. Gluten-Free, and beautifully gift-wrapped. Vegan, gluten free, free from refined sugar, dairy and eggs.
- We have curated a bunch of pantry items which we think your Dads will enjoy for Father’s Day – and to make it easy to construct your own Hamper, we’ve reduced the prices by 15- 50%. This week only.

17/08/2023

Market action!

What’s new this week?
- Probably the most eye-catching news is the start of the mango season: Kensington Pride mangoes from Darwin have started in small volumes several weeks ago, but it’s only now that they’re
starting to sweeten up and have come down to a more reasonable price.
- Lunchbox-size Fuji apples have popped up: $2.50 a kilo. Small but intensely sweet. And intensely cheap.
- Sugarsnap are back, and in excellent supply: $12.60 a kilo.
- We’ve had Golden Beetroot bunches from Steve Grima these past few weeks, but he’s coming to the end of his patch. What remains hasn’t got presentable leaves, so he is instead selling them loose for $3.60 a kilo. Golden beetroot has the same earthy flavour as
their purple cousins, but sweeter.

Best value fruit this week:
- Berries, watermelon, any citrus, lunchbox size Fuji, passionfruit and Packham pears.
- Berries are not far from peak supply: strawberries $2.50 a punnet. Blueberries $4.00 a punnet
- Watermelon prices have been falling for weeks on end. Right now, it’s a bargain at $1.50 a kilo.

Best value vegetable this week
- Avocadoes, beans, snow peas, corn, any cabbage, every single leafy green, most herbs – especially basil, coriander and parsley - broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, continental eggplant, field tomatoes, any lettuce – especially Iceberg and Baby Gem – red radish, Sebago potatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini.
- Not wanting to be out manoeuvred, avocadoes are down to 80c each. In the supermarkets, they cost more than double. Let’s avo go at them, all right?
- Corn is cheap at just 96c a cob
- Iceberg lettuce grown by Manuel Xerri: $2 head

03/08/2023

Market action!

Best value in fruit:
- We just loooove Tangelos: they’re sweet and tangy, all at the same time. They are a hybrid between Tangerines (aka mandarins) and Pomelos (aka grapefruits). Super-juicy and just $2.61/Kg.
- Lemons are cheap: $2.86 a kilo, half price vs Coles ($5.50).
- Pop onto your favourite yoghurt or ice-cream, close your eyes and taste the flavour of Panama passionfruit: 90c each.

Best value in veg:
- Leeks grown by Manuel Xerri are $1.39 each.
- Coriander also from Xerri: $1.49 a bunch.
- Baby Gem lettuce from George Portelli in Maroota is just 92c each
- Add some field tomatoes from Bowen QLD: $3.65 a kilo

01/08/2023

Delicious butterflied leg of lamb, Turkish potato salad with mint, and green beans. The best of Box Divvy and Handler Meats!

06/07/2023

Market action!

Best value in fruit:
- Apples, pears, citrus, passionfruit and melons are best value. Rockmelons are large and good value at $3.25, whilst seedless watermelon is now down to $1.75 a kilo.
- We’re continuing with the Cara Cara oranges for another week.
- In mandarins, we offer both Imperial and Clementines this week. The latter are a little sweeter, cheaper, bigger and seedless – worth a try. Supply of Imperials from the southern growing regions will pick up throughout July, so plenty still coming.
- Strawberries are slowly edging down in price: peak supply won’t be until late August.
- Bananas, pineapple, papaya and kiwi remain expensive for now.
- We’re switching to purple passionfruit. Better value and sweeter than Panamas now – just $1.17 each.

Best value in vegetables:
- In vegetables, literally NOTHING is expensive – but best value are broccoli, beans, corn, zucchini, capsicum, cabbages, cauliflower, sugarsnap, tomatoes and pretty well anything else.
- Raymond will start his large Super Broccoli this week, although he’s not too sure about how many he’ll be able to pick – so we may have to substitute with equivalent regular broccoli.
- Brussels sprouts are super cheap at just $4.75 per kg.
- There is a glut of red capsicums - just $3 per kg (the lowest price this year).
- Also cheap at $3 a kilo: zucchini.

29/06/2023

Market action!

New in season:
- In fruit, we have new season Cara Cara oranges: they are a type of Navel, but bigger, sweeter and brighter orangy red than regular Navels. They usually sell at double the price of Navels, but the grower has a LOT of them so we can offer than for $1.91 a kg. They’re definitely worth a try.
- Caulini is basically a cauliflower that is left to flower. Caulini tastes like cauliflower – but it’s crisp and tender at the same time. You
can stir-fry, quickly sauté or use it in a salad. The bunches are seriously big – nothing like the puny punnets offered by
supermarkets – so $5.74 sounds expensive, but it’s actually good value.
- Baby or Lebanese eggplant will be available for the next few weeks. It’s usually more expensive than continental eggplant, except this week: at $5.80, it’s half price compared with Colesworth.
- There is a flush of fresh pea pods on the market: unusual for this time of year, and even more unusual is the price at under $12 a kilo. If you’ve never chucked peas, and then quickly sauteed them with some fresh mint, now is a good time to get some.
- Back this week after a little break: Tuscan kale from Raymond Camilleri ($2.96 a bunch) and purple kohlrabi from Charlie Vella ($3.49).

Best value in fruit:
- Apples, passionfruit, pineapple (with tops), rockmelon, Packham
pears, mandarins, lemons, ruby grapefruit and Cara Cara oranges.
- Banana supply is still tight, and berries will take a few more weeks to come down in price, with rain forecast for the Queensland growing regions this week.

Best value in vegetables:
- Corn, snow peas, beans, broccolini, Brusseks sprouts, cabbages,
wombok, kohlrabi, rhubarb, capsicum, fennel, cauliflower, celery, leek, zucchini, lettuce, any herb, any tomato variety, you name it: it’s cheap.
- Broccoli prices will be a little higher than usual: Gerard Saad is in between patches, so we’re relying on Victorian supply.
- Womboks are $2.90 each.

22/06/2023

Market action!

New in season:
- In fruit, blueberries are starting to come back! It’s early days and as with the strawberries, they’re not cheap – but prices will come down over the coming weeks.
- In vegetables, there is a good flush of yellow capsicums from Qld that is bringing prices down.

New in pantry:
- Ridiculously Delicious, Australia’s best-tasting peanut butter, made from 100% Australian peanuts – grown in Kingaroy in Qld.
- Ridiculously Delicious also has a wickedly delicious dark chocolate and crunchy nut spread, also at a 7.5% discount at $6.92 a jar.

Best value in fruit:
- In fruit, apples, pears, mandarins, Navel oranges, grapefruit, lemons, red grapes, pineapples (with tops), lemons, and limes are best value.
- Bananas and berries are still pricey, but probably not for long.
- Watermelons and limes are coming down in price, whilst we’re starting to see the first Imperial mandarins from the southern growing regions come in. They will be even sweeter than Qld fruit, and whilst they’re still in the high $2’s, they will come down in July. - White grapes have finished, and this will be the last week for red grapes as well.

Best value in vegetables:
- In vegetables, we can’t think of anything that’s expensive right now – and most prices are lower than last week (and way lower than last year).
- Broccoli, beans, snow peas, corn, cucumber, Dutch carrots, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, field tomatoes, zucchini, leek ($1 each) and leafy greens (including Asian vegetables).
- Even Roma tomatoes have dropped below the $5 mark. Brushed Sebago and sweet potatoes are cheap, and so are capsicums in any colour.
- The only price rises we can see are butternut pumpkin (which had
been pretty cheap until now – but J*p pumpkins are now the better option) and Iceberg lettuce (but then, there are plenty of other lettuce options).

22/06/2023

08/06/2023

Market action!

New in Season:
- In fruit, rockmelons are making a come-back. It’s early days for North Qld, but it’s shaping up to be a good melon season – so prices will drop over the coming weeks.
- In vegetables, it’s ditto for corn and field tomatoes from Bowen –
whilst closer to home, Paul Calleja will be supplying Jerusalem
Artichokes.

Best value in fruit:
- Apples (except Royal Gala) and pears, red grapes, passion fruit,
all citrus, and pomegranates.
- Watermelon prices are falling, but the fruit is still big – around 7kg – and will cost you around $2.25 a kilo.
- White grapes are still available, but good fruit will set you back around $8.50 a kilo. Stick with the reds ($3.50).
- Bananas remain very tight, but temperatures in Tully are in the mid-20’s so we’re hoping for supply to improve.
- We reckon the grape season only has a few more weeks of life in it, but it certainly goes out with a bang: beautiful crisp, sweet and juicy Crimson grapes for $3.50 a kilo.
- Navel oranges are under #2 per kg.

Best value In vegetables:
- We’re seeing price falls across the board – especially for broccoli (local supply from Gerard Saad helps), cauliflowers, Brussels sprouts, snow peas, kale, celery, leek, zucchini, and most leafy greens – including Asian greens.
- Pumpkin is cheap, and so are avocadoes at 89c each.
- Snacking tomatoes are cheap, but Field and Truss are still expensive.

01/06/2023

Market update!

New in season:
- In fruit, we have some new apple and pear varieties appear.
- Sundowners are the last apple to mature, with picking only just underway now. They’re sweet with a slight tang, and also with some spiced honey flavour. An interesting apple for $3.25 a kilo.
- Corella pears are colourful and full of flavour once ripe. Be careful: this pear variety will stay fairly firm for weeks, but you can tell they’re ready if the stem-end has a bit of ‘give’.
- In the vegetable department, we see the return of green capsicum
($5.21 a kilo – cheap compared with red capsicums which are spiking) and rainbow medley snacking tomatoes ($2.78 a punnet).
- Some slighly unusual vegetables: Globe Artichokes for under $2 (they’re $3.29 in Harris Farm) – they’ll be available on and off throughout winter and early spring – and Charlie Vella’s rhubarb is $3.90 a bunch.

Best value in fruit:
- Best value fruit this week: any apples, pears, pomegranates, Imperial mandarins, Navel oranges, Ruby grapefruit and lemons.

Best value in vegetables:
- Hass avocadoes (84c – woohoo!), broccoli, broccolini, cauliflowers (full moon right now), cabbages, wombok, Brussels Sprouts ($4.75 a kilo), kale, pumpkin, eggplant, silverbeet, celery and most leafy greens.
- Leeks are down to $1.39, and potatoes are also coming down.
- Also good value: zucchini, fennel, rhubarb, all lettuces bar iceberg, and radish (from Steve Grima this week).
- Whilst regular tomatoes will be absent (truss is available but
expensive), snacking tomatoes are great value: grape, cherry and
rainbow medley are all between $2.50 and $3 a punnet.