When we were children, we were always told “eat your fruit and vegetables, they’re good for you”. As a result, seasonal salads, tomatoes, cooked vegetables and fruit have always been a part of our diet. Vegetables always featured for lunch and dinner, with fruit to finish, and between meals we would sneak in an apple, a mandarin or fruit juice: “better to eat fruit than anything else”. In the ‘80’s, people began talking about the Mediterranean diet, and later the version without carbohydrates became popular. Then the nutritional pyramid was turned upside down because, from an environmental point of view, it’s better to eat vegetables than meat. Then the new ‘Five a Day’ trend was discovered, “for a healthy life and reduced risk of illness”… but many of us grew up that way anyway. We don’t need the latest expert or TV programme to tell us what we already know. After years of debate, recession and wasted money, we are returning to Nature once again. To me, the word “Nature” is far more than a catchy slogan for selling a range of ready-cooked vegetables. As I see it, it’s linked to the word “choice”, the choice which led me to follow my own nature from an early age, while others were pursuing other careers. “Nature” is linked to the word ‘ethics’, respect for the soil and gratitude for what it gives us. I don’t think we need waste money on campaigns for ecological and environmental sustainability; if we choose to respect nature, it should come naturally. And finally, “Nature” linked to the word “simplicity”, such as the recipes my wife Daniela oversees in person, with complete respect for Italian traditions. We only use the finest processing methods; as far as I am concerned, these are steaming and preserving, without the use of additives.

Alessandro Morganti