Natoora on Pavilion Road is revolutionising the food system.

It is encouraging customers to demand better flavour and more traceability.

Founder Franco Fubini is a firm believer in selling fresh food which is in season and from sustainable sources.

“Nature and all its magic inspires me,” he says.

Customers range from local people to those who travel across London to search out top quality, flavoursome food.

More than 800 restaurants across London now source their food from Natoora.

“I built Natoora with a desire to get better-quality food into consumers' hands.

“I realised that the most effective  way to do this was with flavour,” he says.

 

Traceability

“We have spent the past 14 years building a completely bespoke supply chain from scratch.

“Everything on our shelves can be traced back to an individual, chosen for their dedication to sustainable growing methods that put flavour first,” he says.

Food in season

“Seasonality changes 365 days a year, and from year to year.

“That said, it’s definitely the case that the months between May and November bring a huge variety of produce into our hands.

“The heat speeds up a plant’s natural development, bringing varieties to full maturity sooner than in winter. In some cases that means that they have a shorter season.

“This unpredictability and natural fluctuation in development is why we follow flavour every day, rather than dividing time into four generic seasons,” he explains.

“There is no such thing as a typical day at Natoora.

“From one day to the next I could be at any location on our sourcing network, from our new hub in LA to in the field with a grower in Sicily,” he explains.

“I do what I love – which means it is no longer work.”

Franco also pays tribute to Pavilion Road's “unique mix of food-led independent stores” and “pedestrianised community vibe”.

He says: “It’s almost unprecedented as a concept and yet has worked so well. It seems incredible that it’s just a few years old.”

And as if running Natoora wasn't enough, Franco is also co-founder of the Ice Cream Union on Pavilion Road.

Fresh ingredients from Natoora are used to create high quality, flavoursome ice cream at the parlour which he co-founded with brother Alex Fubini.

 

To find out about Ice Cream Union, read here.

For the full interview in Sloane Square magazine, read here.

To find out more about Natoora, read here.