Auckland photographer Adam Popovich partners with Wonky Box to highlight food waste in New Zealand. Video / Carson Bluck
Fruit and vegetable rescue business Wonky Box will expand its offering to give “stems with a story” another chance to brighten up New Zealand homes.
For Wonky Flowers, it partnered with Waikato-based Burwood Nurseries to save flowers deemed “too wonky” for retail or surplus to demand from landfill.
Following themodel of its fruit and vegetable subscription boxes, Wonky Flowers will see fresh flowers deemed not suitable for the wider market delivered directly to the doorstep of subscription customers.
Wonky Box co-founder Katie Jackson said that, like the fruit and vegetable industry, the flower industry generated a big level of waste.
“Every year, thousands of flower stems never make it to the shop floor due to strict cosmetic standards, weather conditions, or simple oversupply.
“Stems that are slightly too long, too short, curved, or surplus to demand are discarded – not because they lack beauty, but because they don’t meet the industry’s idea of market-ready.
“Wonky Flowers is here to change that ... It’s about ... helping overlooked blooms find a home and a story to tell.”
Burwood head grower Greg Dunn said they were excited about the partnership.
“We put so much time, care, and energy into every stem, whether grown here on our farm in Cambridge or sourced from our wider network of trusted growers.
“Wonky Box ... allows growers like us to earn a fair price for products we’ve nurtured, reduce unnecessary waste, and bring more joy into Kiwi homes with flowers that deserve to be seen and enjoyed, not thrown away.”
Wonky Box co-founder Angus Simms said that, like the produce, the kind of flowers available through Wonky Flowers would change every week and depend on the season.
Angus Simms and Katie Jackson founded Wonky Box in 2021.
“It means customers can enjoy a true ‘surprise and delight’ moment, and get creative with how they display their blooms at home.
“Like fruit and vegetables, the flower industry works to tight specs and high stakes – and when things don’t go to plan, it’s the growers who bear the cost," Simms said.
“Now, instead of those stems being discarded, they can support growers, reduce waste, and bring beauty into homes across Aotearoa. It’s a win-win-win.
For Wonky Flowers, Wonky Box partnered with Waikato-based Burwood Nurseries to save flowers deemed “too wonky” for retail or surplus to demand from landfill. Photo / Wonky Box
“This is a brand-new direction for Wonky Box, but it’s completely aligned with our mission in rescuing quality products that would otherwise go to waste. We can’t wait to see how Kiwis respond.”
For more information or to subscribe to Wonky Flowers, visit wonkybox.co.nz. Boxes start from $52 plus delivery.
Wonky Box was founded by Simms and Jackson in 2021 after they spent a summer picking fruit in Nelson and witnessed growers being left with produce they couldn’t sell due to minor blemishes after a hailstorm.
