Organic food isn’t generally considered the most affordable option, however one Melbourne organic merchant is out to change all that, with the invention of the ‘Student Box’ designed for the starving student budget. “Initially it was mostly mums with young children but now we sell to an increasing number of teenagers and students, so much that we have added a Student Box of organic fresh produce to give students the best possible value for money,” says Kristen Morrison, who founded Melbourne Street Organics (soon to be rebranded as Street Organics) with her husband Joseph in 2011. “We have 14 year olds coming into our store to buy nut meals and superfoods for recipes they have found online,” she adds.
Not only are teens ordering more on line, they are visiting the Melbourne Street Organics café, according to Kristen. “What’s really surprised me is the fact that there’s definitely more participation from the teen market,” she says. “We get teens and grandmas coming in here to the café. Our customers range from 15 to at least 55 years old. We also get elderly people in here for lunch.” Kristen’s own daughter, who is 18, is also contemplating studying nutrition, and showing an active interest in organic food.
While the number of schools incorporating edible gardens into the curriculum is growing, which is instilling an appreciation for home grown and organic food in the younger population, Mrs Morrison says that people of all ages are also getting a better understanding of the term ‘natural’, on pre-packaged foods. “People are waking up to the fact that even if it is called ‘natural’ on the packet, that doesn’t mean that it is.”
People of both generations who might not necessarily be able to pay the premium price for certified organic food also purchase from Melbourne Street Organics because the business has carefully selected growers and maintains relationships with them to ensure that all produce is pesticide free, and super fresh when it arrives with customers. “If you work really close to your market and move stock you can afford to charge a little less,” adds Mrs Morrison. “I started this business because I have a child with special needs. We are very much driven towards making it affordable.” The student box is just one of the measures the business has implemented with that goal in mind.
For more information contact
Kristen Morrison
Phone: +61423 074 770
E-mail: kristen@naturallybetterfoods.com
Twitter: @NBFoods
Facebook: Naturally Better Foods
Website: www.naturallybetterfoods.com