Founder

The Path To CrunchBox 2.0: A Decade of Listening, Learning and Lunch Boxes

Sophie Kovic
The Path To CrunchBox 2.0: A Decade of Listening, Learning and Lunch Boxes The Path To CrunchBox 2.0: A Decade of Listening, Learning and Lunch Boxes
Ten years ago, I asked for help to create a new kind of lunchbox, one that solved a real problem. At the time, I had no idea that one idea would become the foundation for Seed & Sprout, or that it would spark a decade-long journey shaped by community feedback, persistence, and a shared desire to do things better.
Today, after three years of in-house design, development, testing and refining, I’m incredibly proud to introduce our newest lunchbox hero: CrunchBox 2.0.

It started as a development code name, but after living with it for so long, we simply couldn’t imagine calling it anything else - tehe. 


Where it all began

When I launched my very first Kickstarter campaign for The Stacker, it was the hardest prototyping adventure I could have imagined. I was trying to solve a problem I faced daily, one I knew other parents faced too, while also creating a product that aligned with my values around sustainability and conscious living. I wanted to prove that everyday products could be better for our families and for the planet.
That early chapter of Seed & Sprout was fuelled by community support. It was crowdfunded, deeply collaborative, and built on listening, really listening, to feedback. It was also just me, with the help of friends and family, learning fast and being stretched in every direction. But we brought the product to life. And you loved it.
That belief gave me the confidence to grow beyond a single lunchbox and build what Seed & Sprout is today. Looking back now, with hundreds of products in our range, I’m so grateful for those early lessons. If you’d like to read more about how Seed & Sprout began, you can revisit my founder story here.

The evolution of CrunchBox

CrunchBox 2.0 began, quite simply, as a conversation in one of our weekly team meetings.

Customers were asking for updates to the original CrunchBox and it got us thinking. I’d originally designed the OG CrunchBox for my son, Archie. As he grew older, his lunches grew too. His needs were changing, and so were the needs of so many families in our community.

At Seed & Sprout, evolving products through customer feedback is part of our DNA. Progress over perfection is usually our mantra (although I’ll admit, with this project we may have leaned a little harder into perfection than usual).

What we’ve created is our most flexible and customisable lunchbox solution yet. CrunchBox 2.0 is designed to grow with your child, offering modular combinations made from durable stainless steel and LFGB-certified silicone. It allows you to personalise lunches day to day, year to year, adapting as routines, appetites and life stages change.

We love that these solutions can be mixed, matched and refreshed with new colours and accessories, rather than replaced altogether. In fact, we're beyond proud to hear from customers when the one CrunchBox got their child through from Kindy and into high school!!

Designed by feedback

We’re incredibly proud of the five-star reviews the OG CrunchBox has received over the years. Feedback is truly a gift, we read every single review and share insights directly with our product development team.

Across those reviews, clear themes emerged:

  • Could it be larger?

  • Could it be lighter?

  • Could it be more flexible?

  • Could it offer better leak resistance?

Those questions became our design brief.

What followed were many iterations, many rabbit holes, and countless refinements. We challenged ourselves to find the best possible balance between function, weight, durability and sustainability.

The result? We believe we’ve created one of the most thoughtful lunchbox solutions available - designed by a small team, based in Byron Bay, working flexibly and always striving to contribute positively to the planet.

Why OG and 2.0 exist together

Along the way, we faced a big question: Should we discontinue the original CrunchBox?

There were many conversations, plenty of “let me sleep on it” moments, and a lot of reflection. In the end, we simply couldn’t say goodbye to a lunchbox that so many families continue to love.

The OG CrunchBox will always hold a special place in my heart, it's one of the cornerstone products of the business.

CrunchBox 2.0 wasn’t designed to replace it, but to sit alongside it. Think of it as the bigger sister: offering more space, more flexibility and more options for those who need them.

Designed to last, for people and planet

CrunchBox has always been created with a buy once, buy well philosophy.

Plastic lunchbox alternatives often crack, warp or break — and need regular replacing. When you think about it in terms of cost per lunch (around 40 school weeks a year, five days a week, over many years), investing in a durable, well-made lunchbox just makes sense.

And then there’s the cost to the planet.

Cheaper plastic alternatives may seem affordable upfront, but the environmental impact lasts far longer. Plastic lunch containers will still be affecting the planet long after our children are grown.

There are no shortcuts when it comes to sustainability, only more considered choices.

CrunchBox 2.0 is made using premium materials and the strictest certifications across both materials and manufacturing processes. It’s designed to be used, loved and relied on for years to come. Find out more about our materials over here.

Looking ahead

Seeing CrunchBox evolve over the past decade has been one of the most rewarding parts of building Seed & Sprout.

CrunchBox 2.0 represents everything we’ve learned along the way, shaped by community feedback, refined with care, and created to support families at every stage.

Thank you for being part of the journey. I can’t wait for you to experience what we’ve been working towards.

Love Sophie xx