Veggies just got more exciting: Mark Bittman joins Needham-based vegan startup
The Purple Carrot teams up with the famous New York Times food writer.
Mark Bittman is known to many as a food writer and author of the bestselling How To Cook Everything. Now, Bittman is joining forces with Needham-based The Purple Carrot — a plant-based meal-kit startup.
According to Fast Company, Bittman takes on the positions of partner and Chief Innovation Officer, with responsibilities including recipe development and testing, as well as improving packaging and sourcing sustainability. The latter is something that he particularly emphasizes and looks to improve.
“As everyone knows, meal kits are packed with a lot of stuff,’’ Bittman told Fast Company. “And it’s not just meal kits; anyone who ships anything has this issue. We are taking it seriously, and that will be the hardest stuff to crack. I really hope we can say to the bigger players in this industry, like Blue Apron and Plated and HelloFresh, ‘This is a common problem we have, what can we do? People are making packaging out of mushrooms, can we ship with that kind of stuff?’’’
The Purple Carrot was established last year in Boston, created to deliver the ingredients and recipes for fresh vegan meals in a subscription-based service.
Interestingly, neither Bittman nor Purple Carrot founder and chief executive Andrew Levitt are vegans or vegetarians. According to The New York Times, both are practicing “flexitarians,’’ a term coined by Bittman referring to those who eat mostly plant-based diets with occasional meals with meat.
“We’re not preaching veganism at all,’’ Levitt told the Times. “I look at it as a great opportunity to make a real difference in the world by teaching people how to eat a plant-based diet that is good for health, good for the environment and good for animal welfare.’’
Bittman has authored 14 cooking books, and was a longtime food columnist for The New York Times and New York Times Magazine. He has already started meeting with investors for The Purple Carrot and made sure upon joining the company that all of its employees make a minimum of $15 an hour.
Bittman introduced himself to The Purple Carrot community with an essay on the company’s website.
“The bottom line is this,’’ he wrote. “I want to be part of a force that works for a better food system, for one that provides food that is fair, green, affordable, nutritious, and tasty. I hope you’ll join in that mission.’’
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com