Wholesale fruit and vegetables offered as a tap and go service at southside bottle shop

A wholesale fresh food distributor is doing its bit to fight the spread of coronavirus by teaming up with a southside pub barren to sell fruit boxes and toilet paper from a bottle shop which get placed straight into the boot of your car.

TWO business operators will team up tomorrow on Brisbane’s southside to offer a one-stop shop for fresh produce in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Fruit boxes will be sold from the Glen Hotel bottle shop at Eight Mile Plains with 300 ready for pick up for the first day of operation on Thursday.

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The family run business Wholesale Fruit Co at Rocklea has operated from the Brisbane Markets for 35 years supplying hotels, pubs, clubs and some hospitals with food.

Owner Ian Bensted said after the government shutdowns this week had stripped his business by 50 per cent.

Owner of Wholesale Fruit Co at Rocklea Ian Bensted and his daughter Tash at a recent trade show.

So for the first time ever he was offering his produce to the community through the help of his friend and business colleague Brian Fitzgibbons from the Glen Hotel.

In a Facebook post on Monday the fruit business urged the community to keep supporting local business.

“This is a very scary time. We will continue to supply our customers - please continue buying takeaway from your local cafes and restaurants if you can. This is crucial for their survival over the next 6 months,” it read.

To keep money coming in and fresh produce going out the business started doing community home delivery on Tuesday but after just one day they could not keep up with demand.

“It is a stressful time with nothing on the shelves at the supermarket,” Mr Bensted said.

“Everyone has to eat.”

With this in mind the wholesale business teamed up with The Glen Hotel to offer a drive through service. And in turn two businesses joined forces.

“People just have to tap and go and we pop their items into the boot of their car,” he said

“People just need to wind down their window. They don’t even need to get out of the car. It’s a bottle-O and fruit and veg hot spot.”

Mr Bensted said people could grab a bottle of wine with the order and there were also plans to include toilet rolls, milk and bread in coming days through a supplier for The Glen Hotel.

“The phones have been ridiculous and the demand so high that the original three boxes we had offered has now been reduced to two.”

Owner Brian Fitzgibbons at the Glen Hotel in Eight Mile Plains.

There are two box prices on offer for either $69 or $89. With additional cost for eggs and alcohol.

The original Facebook post had more than 1000 shares and the partnership of local business has shown great community spirit.

“While in the drive-through, we also encourage you to support our dear family friends, the Fitzgibbons family, who are the owners of The Glen Hotel,” the post said.

“They have been hit hard with the temporary closure of their venue, due to Government directive, as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.”

PICK-UP LOCATION:

Bottlemart Drive Thru at The Glen Hotel

24 Gaskell Street, Eight Mile Plains

This new service operates from 10am - 5pm Monday to Friday to meet demand.

People are advised to stay in their car. Payment is via ETPOS with the fruit box placed straight in the boot of your car. This is to minimise contact with others.

Graphic showing common symptom and rates of appearance in cases of Coronavirus COVID19. Source: World Health Organization.