Skippy's new owners dish up value and freshness

Choosing the freshest fruit and vegetables for Moreton Bay families is important to the owners of Skippy’s Market Fresh at Rothwell.

Every morning Nic Quintili (pictured) and his business partner Sam Etri are at the Rocklea Markets bright and early to inspect the quality of the fresh produce grown by Australian farmers.

“We head down to the markets at 6am five mornings a week to purchase our fresh produce,” Nic says.

“To ensure we have the highest quality of food for our customers, we will taste test everything before we buy to make sure it meets our standards.

“We offer a difference from the corporate supermarkets and pride ourselves on our products sourced mainly from local businesses like ours.

“We will negotiate the best price because the more we negotiate, we cheaper we can get it for the store.

“Our rule is if we wouldn’t buy it for ourselves, we won’t buy it for the shop.

“At least 80 percent of what we buy each morning will be in our shop on the same day.

“You can’t get much fresher than that.”

Nic and Sam bought the business in November 2022 and completed a full renovation of the existing store, which included expanding their floor space, new fixtures and a fresh paint job.

“There was a fruit shop here previously, but when we came in and bought the shop, we did a full renovation and renamed it Skippy’s Market Fresh,” Sam explains.

“This is our first store in the Moreton Bay Region and joins another store we have down in Victoria Point in Redlands.

“We want the community to know that yes, we are here and have everything you need to fill your basket and trolley at a cheaper price than the major supermarkets.”

During a visit to Skippy’s Market Fresh, shoppers can stock up on a wide array of fruits, vegetables, nuts, eggs, milk, yoghurts, cheeses, dips, cold meats, a selection of frozen meal options and ice cream, as well as pantry items like jams, spreads, tinned goods, pasta, pasta sauces, crackers, biscuits, soft drinks and even cleaning products.

Knowing that money people are doing it tough in the community, Nic and Sam have implemented a number of initiatives in the store to help people cut the cost of their weekly grocery bills.

“We have weekly specials and incentives to look out for and aim to provide the quality and variety that our customers come to expect,” Nic says.

“Every Tuesday and Wednesday we offer a pensioner discount where pensioners can come in and save 10 per cent off their bill on fruit and vegetables.

“We have also started Afterpay for people who don’t have that immediate cash flow.

“In addition, we can also do wholesale produce orders for businesses.”

Skippy’s can also order in specialised items as requested by customers.

“We are able to stock a lot of products that you won’t find in Coles or Woolworths,” Nic says.

“We often have customers come in and request specialised items from all over the world, for example sauerkraut and other delicacies.

“If we can stock these products, we will add them to the shelves.

“That’s another bonus of shopping at a small, independent family-run business – you can’t go to your local supermarket chain and request items.”

Skippy’s Market Fresh at Rothwell is located next to Marjax Meats, which Nic says provides more options for shoppers.

“The guys at Marjax Meats have been really great, so we are glad to be working right next to them,” Nic says.

“We feed off each other’s customers which is great for both of our businesses.

“Having them right there makes for an easy one-stop shop for customers.”

Drop in and see Nic and Sam at Skippy’s Market Fresh located at Rothwell Central, 743 Deception Bay Rd, Rothwell.

See more photos in the gallery below. 

Giving back to the local community

Since moving into the region, both Nic and Sam have already made a name for themselves by their generosity.

The store has partnered with Lighthouse Centre Deception Bay where they will donate food to help the needy, and have also taken on sponsorship of a local football club.

“We want to help those who help us,” Nic says.

“We are a local business and part of the community, so we want to give back to the community.”