Funky Food

Funky Food: rescued fruit and vegetable subscription in Australia

Funky Food is an Australian-based subscription service that rescues fresh fruit and vegetables that would otherwise be discarded for not meeting retailers' cosmetic standards. The company presents itself as an alternative to large-scale retail, with home delivery and prices up to 30% lower than supermarkets. Its proposition is built on the convenience of a flexible subscription and support for local producers.

Subscription model and how it works

The service operates exclusively by subscription: one-off orders are not accepted, although it is possible to cancel immediately after placing an order. Deliveries are made weekly or fortnightly, and users can edit, skip, pause or cancel their subscription at any time. The company groups deliveries by suburb to reduce emissions and costs, so it is not possible to choose the delivery day or a specific time slot. Orders arrive before 6:30 pm on the assigned day and the packaging keeps produce fresh for up to 12 hours outside the home.

Box types and customisation

Funky Food offers three main options:

• Variety box: a seasonal selection of fruit and vegetables chosen by the company, with the option to swap out up to four items.
• Custom box: the customer individually chooses the products they want.
• Combination: the company selects the fruit and vegetables and the customer adds the remaining products.

There are no fruit-only or vegetable-only boxes, but customisation allows you to configure a box with only fruit, only vegetables or a mix. The minimum spend to customise is 40 Australian dollars. The company describes itself as the only fully customisable rescued produce provider, which allows the box to be adapted to dietary restrictions or allergies.

Additional products and local partners

In addition to fruit and vegetables, the subscription allows you to add pantry products and meat. Funky Food works with Australian brands and small local businesses to offer items such as bread, milk, eggs, nuts, long-life milk, snacks and canned goods. The company does not offer fish or seafood by choice, stating that their processing requires a strict cold chain and same-day processing, and it prefers to focus on rescued fruit and vegetables and meat.

Environmental commitment and results

The company states it has rescued 7.4 million kilos of produce that was going to be wasted, delivered 627,000 boxes and avoided 14 million kilos of carbon emissions. According to its data, it works with more than 34 Australian farms. The packaging is reusable: they collect empty boxes, foil liners and ice packs to reuse them wherever possible. The company notes that 30% of fruit and vegetables are rejected by retailers, and its stated goal is to help correct that system.

Coverage and customer service

Funky Food delivers across most of Southeast Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Victoria. Customer service is available every day from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm AEST by text message or email. The company offers a 100% satisfaction guarantee: if the order arrives damaged, defective or you are not happy with it, you can request a full refund or a credit on your Funky account within 7 days.

Background and recognition

Founded by a young Queensland entrepreneur, the company went from operating in his mother's garage to a warehouse in seven months, according to Queensland Country Life. It has been covered by Australian media such as A Current Affair, 9 News, 7 News and Courier Mail, which highlighted its business model and growth. The company states it has more than 70,000 Australian customers and an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 based on more than 670 reviews.