A chance encounter took me from a New York skyscraper to a London food market – and a new life | Franco Fubini
Working in finance, I was unhappy and surrounded by greed. Then I embraced my passion for cooking, produce and nature
- Franco Fubini is the founder and CEO of Natoora
As I wandered out of my New York apartment, the snow compressing on to the sidewalk in that warming dusk light gave my walk to Citarella’s on Third Avenue a rhythmic glow. It was 1999 and Christmas was a few weeks away. In the northern hemisphere, December is the season for vibrant citrus, bitter leaves and pumpkins, yet behind me someone called out: “Where can I find peaches?” I turned around to see an affronted woman standing outside the greengrocer’s. The absurdity of the moment struck me – why would someone crave peaches in the middle of winter? It is just as absurd as sitting by the pool on a blistering summer day and reaching for a warm, woolly jumper.
I was already aware of the issues facing the food system; industrialised farming destroying our soils, the stomach of our planet, opaque supply chains leaving citizens powerless in making the right buying decisions, and the dominance of ultra-processed foods with zero nutritional value in supermarkets, schools and hospitals, to name a few. But this moment underscored our grave disconnect with nature and its seasons. We had normalised the idea that food can and should be eaten any time of the year. I couldn’t escape from this realisation, but little did I know that seemingly innocuous encounter in New York was to change my life for ever.
Franco Fubini is the founder and CEO of Natoora, and author of In Search of the Perfect Peach
Continue reading...-
New York state bans DeepSeek from government devices
The state of New York has banned the Chinese artificial intelligence assistant DeepSeek on government devices.NBC News - 4h -
New York poultry markets ordered to close temporarily as bird flu concerns spread
The order, signed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul Hochul on Friday, requires the markets to close for a week as facilities undergo a complete disinfection process.NBC News - 1d -
Persimmons and pears: the farmers’ market program getting kids excited to try new foods
Elementary schoolers in the San Francisco Bay Area are embarking on tasting journeys of fruits and vegetables. On a crisp winter morning in San Francisco , a team of six-year-olds declare that ...The Guardian - 1d -
New York Live Bird Markets Ordered to Close After Bird Flu Is Found
The order affects roughly 80 markets in New York City and in several nearby counties. New Jersey is also asking its live markets to voluntarily clean, disinfect and temporarily close.The New York Times - 2d -
New York leads multistate lawsuit to block DOGE from accessing Americans' personal data
New York Attorney General Letitia James and 18 other state attorneys general sued the Trump administration in an effort to stop Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing ...NBC News - 2d -
Live poultry markets shuttered after bird flu detected in New York City
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul temporarily shut down some live poultry markets in the state after bird flu was detected during a routine inspection in New York City. Lilia Luciano has details.CBS News - 3d -
What to know about New York's poultry market shutdowns amid bird flu concerns
New York has announced a temporary shutdown of all live poultry markets as the state attempts to contain the bird flu outbreak. CBS News correspondent Lilia Luciano reports.CBS News - 3d -
The Singular Magic of Torrisi: New York City on a Plate
Sam Sifton takes you through a meal at Torrisi, where the story of the five boroughs is channeled through the food.The New York Times - 3d -
How Saquon Barkley went from expendable in New York to invaluable in Philadelphia
Saquon Barkley’s transformation from expendable in New York to invaluable during Philadelphia’s run to Sunday’s Super Bowl did not happen over the course of just one offseason.NBC News - 3d
More from The Guardian
-
Middle East crisis live: Trump says Gaza ceasefire should be cancelled if hostage release delayed
US president said it was ultimately up to Israel but he warned that ‘all hell is going to break out’ if the remaining hostages aren’t released on Saturday. Trump, when speaking to reporters at the ...The Guardian - 24m -
Elon Musk-led group makes surprise bid of nearly $100bn for OpenAI
Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO and co-founder, responded that he would not accept and offered to buy X instead. Elon Musk escalated his feud with OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman on Monday. The billionaire ...The Guardian - 2h -
Trump announces 25% tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum
Modified US duties will be enforced ‘without exceptions’, said president, in controversial bid to boost economy. Why Trump tariffs will be ‘very bad for America and for the world’ US politics ...The Guardian - 1h -
AI chatbots distort and mislead when asked about current affairs, BBC finds
Most answers had ‘significant issues’ when researchers asked services to use broadcaster’s news articles as source. Leading artificial intelligence assistants create distortions, factual ...The Guardian - 48m -
Macron touts Europe and trolls Trump at Paris AI summit
‘Choose Europe and France for AI,’ says president amid speculation US and UK playing hardball over declaration. Emmanuel Macron touted Europe and France as artificial intelligence powerhouses, amid ...The Guardian - 4h
More in World
-
US justice department official seeks dismissal of charges against Eric Adams
Federal prosecutors ordered to drop charges against New York mayor, who has cultivated relationship with Trump. A top official at the US Department of Justice has ordered federal prosecutors to ...The Guardian - 19m -
Middle East crisis live: Trump says Gaza ceasefire should be cancelled if hostage release delayed
US president said it was ultimately up to Israel but he warned that ‘all hell is going to break out’ if the remaining hostages aren’t released on Saturday. Trump, when speaking to reporters at the ...The Guardian - 24m -
Bus Plunges off Bridge in Guatemala City, Killing at Least 53
The bus collided with other vehicles on a main bridge in Guatemala’s capital before falling into a ravine early Monday morning.The New York Times - 40m -
NHS leaders call for use of private finance to build hospitals
NHS Confederation says such funding is needed to fix delapidated infrastructureFinancial Times - 48m -
UK apprentices will not need maths or English qualifications
New rules aim to plug skills gaps in key industries and drive economic growthFinancial Times - 48m