Moreish: Fruit, bread, cheese and chocolate are just a few of the types of finger food to be found in a grazing box.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out selling cheese, chocolates, crackers and the like makes for a popular consumer experience. But who would have thought a small business could sustain itself selling artfully arranged nibbles? News journalist Rosa Ritchiespoke to one proprietor to learn more about grazing boxes, the boutique catering craze gratifying the Goulburn Valley.
More than half a dozen antipasto grazing box businesses have popped up in the Shepparton region during the past year, offering a pandemic-friendly kind of catering that attracts casual orders as well as corporate.
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Lauren Doxey set up Gourmet Grazing Co. in Shepparton after losing her job at the onset of the pandemic.
"I was 25 weeks’ pregnant with my first baby when the pandemic hit around March and I got made redundant,“ she said.
“After my son, Theo, was born, I had been at home for about four months during COVID, isolated and pregnant, and I had this newborn baby.
“It was really tough.”
Lauren wanted to work, and knew she didn’t want to return to a regular business hours role.
Recipe for success: Lauren Doxey loves running her small business from home, which allows her to spend more time with her son, Theo.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
She had been dreaming about starting her own project for a while, and with her husband’s encouragement, she attended a business seminar to get started.
Lauren has always had a knack for producing a premium spread, so much so that during their engagement, her husband joked about mentioning her talent in his wedding vows.
“When we sat down with our celebrant to talk about our vows she asked, ‘What’s something really nice you like about the other person?’” Lauren said.
“I was saying my husband is kind and generous, and he said, ‘Can I say she makes a really good platter?’”
Lauren said there was nothing similar on offer in Shepparton when she set out.
The beauty of the grazing box is its versatility — orders can be placed to feed one or hundreds, and special requests can easily be taken into account.
Lauren’s homemade brownie box has been a constant hit, as are savoury boxes made up of beautifully arranged meats, cheeses, dips, fruits, veggies, bread and so on.
Colourful: Two boxes of artfully arranged nibbles by Gourmet Grazing Co. Photo: supplied
The majority of Gourmet Grazing Co. customers are corporate.
For example, Lauren recently received an order for 70 staff members to pick up a grazing box and eat it solo at home while watching the company’s annual awards night online.
Lauren’s handiwork has also made for a popular gift, especially during lockdowns and periods of isolation.
“It was a good way to gift someone something if you couldn’t be with them or drive to see them,” she said.
Opening her business has helped Lauren connect more deeply with her community and her love of hospitality.
“My husband and I have talked about the dream of one day opening a café or an outdoor barbecue smoke house — something to do with food,” she said.
