An initiative to encourage more people to eat fruit and vegetables has taken off in Rotorua, with shoppers flocking from across the city to snap up the bargains.
Kai @ The Right Price was launched by Toi Te Ora Public Health at Western Heights' Produce Plus store.
In its first week 25 bags of fruit and vegetables were sold, and now more than 50 people a week are filling their pantries, some driving across the city. One week, 76 bags were sold to shoppers at the store.
Shoppers are given the choice of a $10 bag or $15 bag packed with seasonal fruit and vegetables.
Toi Te Ora set up the scheme after a similar project run by the Waikato District Health Board. Health improvement adviser Kathy King said Western Heights was identified as a community with a need for such a project.
"There's an issue of nutrition and the cost of nutritious food," Ms King said.
"We were very careful not to have any expectations but we're pleased with the success and we expect it to continue. Households are challenged to make nutritious food on a budget and this offers value for money - we can make it easier."
It is being run as a pilot scheme but Ms King was confident it would continue.
Produce Plus owner Mohan Anand said the bags worked out to be about 20 per cent cheaper than buying the produce off the shelf and it had meant people were buying a lot more fresh produce than they used to.
"They used to buy just a couple of things but this way they're getting more variety," Mr Anand said.
"Everyone's happy. It's quite a good range. They don't have to worry about the price. Straight away I knew it was going to be a good idea.
"Most of our customers are from Western Heights but we've had people come from Springfield and Lynmore to buy the bags."
Each bag has a quarter of a pumpkin, half a cabbage, 1kg potatoes, 500g onions, 500g carrots, four apples, half a pack of Bobby bananas and four pears. The $15 bag has 700g kumara, broccoli and 800g kiwifruit as extra. Mr Anand said he could swap some of the produce if customers already had items left at home.
One satisfied customer is Christine Mead who travels from her Fairy Springs home once a week. She said she could now afford fresh produce.
"I feel a lot better for it," Mrs Mead said.
"I'm cooking all sorts of different things with my veges. My 17-month-old daughter Aaliyah loves her fruit and vegetables. I'll keep on buying the bags for as long as they have them as it's expensive otherwise.
"I wouldn't normally buy this much, probably less than half."
She said she was telling all her friends about Kai @ The Right Price because of the value.
The project is also being run in Mangakino.