Startup Challenge Team Launches Food Business

Startup Challenge Team Launches Food Business

8 March 2013

Local food business, Good Neighbour, have just launched in the Bay of Plenty, bringing good food to local residents in an effort to rebuild the fabric of the community.

The enterprising charitable NGO has launched a food delivery service off the back of the Local Food Startup Challenge (http://challenge.buckybox.com) which was announced by Kiwi software company, Bucky Box, in February.

This is one of the first businesses to launch their service in New Zealand thanks to a slice of the $500k startup fund which was established to get more local food distribution happening around the world.

Bucky Box spokesperson, Sam Rye commented, “Whether you’re listening to people in cafes enjoying seasonal fare or the UN Special Rapporteur to Food Security, everyone is saying that we need a shift to more small scale farming with less reliance on toxic chemicals, and alternative distribution models will be needed to support that. We’re delighted to see the beginning of that vision starting to take shape with new enterprises like Good Neighbour getting started thanks to our Local Food Startup Challenge.”

Good Neighbour show what is possible with a small amount of seed capital, a can-do attitude, and some sage advice in the setup process. They are pre-selling boxes of fruit and vegetables, buying the produce locally, packaging them into a box, sprinkling in a little customer happiness and delivering them to local residents directly so they don’t have to struggle through the supermarket lines.

"We're incredibly excited to be able to put all the resources a new local food business would need in one place and add a little rocket fuel to their setup process. We’re challenging Kiwis to do something good for themselves, their whanau & their communities - build a business in 3 months and see what delivering local food does to the sense of community in your area, and the diets of your neighbours." said Rye.

“Good neighbour Produce Boxes launched last week with nearly 30 large orders. So far the feedback has been all positive with many loving the fresh quality and value in each box. Most of all the great advantage is not only saving money or supporting good healthy eating but backing the Good Neighbour mission - helping those struggling in our community through enterprising behaviour and a dose of love. We aim to put all our profits back into our communities through funds raised in this way.” said Good Neighbour Founder, Campbell Hill.

If you’re in Tauranga area, check out Good Neighbour’s site and make an order for their delicious veggies at: http://www.goodneighbour.co.nz/fruit-boxes/

About Bucky Box
Bucky Box was formed as a social enterprise in 2011 with a vision to catalyse local food, globally.

With a mission to ‘bring about a human food system that supports the collective long term health of all living systems’, Bucky Box is a new type of business.

The software is beautifully designed & intuitive to use; it tackles online ordering, customer database, packing & delivery logistics and payment reconciliation. It is offered on a software-as-a-service basis, and can be used in any country in the world with an internet connection.

Bucky Box is part of the Enspiral group – a social innovation accelerator and eco-system based in Wellington, New Zealand

For more information, visit: www.buckybox.com or ‘The Mission’ page: www.buckybox.org

ENDS

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