A community food network that started as a street co-op has arrived on Brisbane’s northside, opening Hubs in Zillmere and Banyo where neighbours can combine their buying power for fresh food.
They are among Box Divvy’s first five Queensland Hubs, along with Browns Plains, Kingston and Regents Park.
The network has grown to more than 400 Hubs supporting almost 16,000 families across NSW, the ACT and Victoria. Members order online, but rather than having groceries delivered individually, orders are combined and sent to a neighbourhood Hub for collection.
Box Divvy marked its Queensland launch with a price comparison conducted on 17 August. A basket of 21 fresh produce items cost $86.37 through Box Divvy, including the Hubster fee, compared with $142.62 using a major supermarket’s online prices that day — a difference of 39 per cent.
It is a one-day comparison conducted by Box Divvy, rather than an indication that shoppers will save 39 per cent every week. Co-founders Jayne Travers-Drapes and Anton van den Berg say a seasonal basket is more typically up to 30 per cent cheaper than major supermarkets.
From Street Co-op to 400 Hubs
Box Divvy began with a question the founders had about the gap between what shoppers pay for food and what farmers receive.
“Why does good food have to be so expensive when farmers are often receiving a relatively small share of what consumers pay?” they said.
Their answer was to pool neighbourhood demand. Households still choose their own groceries, but orders are bought and delivered collectively.
Each Hub is run by a local “Hubster” and can operate from a garage, carport or community space. When residents began setting up their own Hubs, Travers-Drapes and van den Berg realised the idea could grow beyond the original street co-op.
Cutting Costs Between Farm and Home
The founders say part of the saving comes from doing away with individual packing and delivery.
A Hub might receive 16 kilograms of Pink Lady apples or 23 kilograms of bananas in bulk, for example, before the produce is divided into members’ orders.
A six-to-eight-hour delivery run can also carry the equivalent of 150 to 200 household orders because deliveries are made to Hubs rather than individual homes.
There are no conventional Box Divvy stores, removing another layer of retail costs.
“So the savings aren’t coming from squeezing farmers,” the founders said. “The aim is to remove unnecessary costs between the farmer and the household, and share that value more fairly.”
The system also leaves room for produce that might not fit conventional retail presentation.
“A wonky carrot or an unusually large zucchini doesn’t suddenly become a problem because it doesn’t conform to a supermarket display standard,” they said.
Following What’s in Season
Box Divvy’s range changes with supply rather than trying to offer exactly the same produce throughout the year.
“When something is plentiful and at its best, that’s often when consumers get the best value,” Travers-Drapes and van den Berg said.
They say members have proved more willing than expected to shop around what is in season. Price is important, but freshness, quality and knowing where food comes from also influence what they buy.
The social side was less expected.
“People join for cheaper food, but they stay because they have become part of a local community,” the founders said. “The food is the catalyst; the community is one of the unexpected benefits.”
Queensland Supply Takes Shape
For the Queensland rollout, Box Divvy has partnered with Suncoast Fresh to fulfil and deliver orders.
The Noosa-founded supplier works directly with more than 40 local farms, while Box Divvy says it already sources from a number of Queensland farmers.
“Queensland isn’t simply an extension of our NSW operation,” the founders said. “It has its own growing regions, seasons, weather patterns and supply networks.”
Zillmere and Banyo are the first northside locations. The other Queensland launch Hubs are at Browns Plains, Kingston and Regents Park, with Box Divvy looking for more people interested in running Hubs in their communities.
The founders say their ambitions go beyond adding locations.
“If those five founding Hubs become the seeds for hundreds of thriving Queensland communities, while households are saving money and growers are getting a better connection to their customers, that’s what success looks like to us.”
Published 27-Aug-2026
