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A Rachel De Thample in a black dress strolls gracefully through a vibrant garden.
A long, elegantly set table for a River Cottage Feast.
River Cottage "Kitchen Garden" sign directing into the garden.
Natoora Onions
Hot dog Pods displayed in a green box
Flower tunnel
Beautiful green soup with a table background
A Rachel De Thample in a black dress strolls gracefully through a vibrant garden.
A long, elegantly set table for a River Cottage Feast.
River Cottage "Kitchen Garden" sign directing into the garden.
Natoora Onions
Hot dog Pods displayed in a green box
Flower tunnel
Beautiful green soup with a table background
Only 1 dates left

Nutrition & Science Of Flavour With Franco Fubini

£245.00

Book this course
03 Jul
£245
1 day
Adult
Close
11:30 - 20:00

Nutrition & Science of Flavour with Franco Fubini

A Unique Culinary Experience with Heritage Ingredients

Join Natoora founder Franco Fubini and River Cottage’s Rachel de Thample this summer for an extraordinary farm-to-table cooking adventure. Through hands-on cooking sessions, you’ll explore how rare and heritage ingredients unlock both incredible flavour and nutritional benefits.

You’ll gather produce from the River Cottage Kitchen Garden, work with Natoora’s finest seasonal fruit and vegetables, and create innovative dishes that celebrate crop diversity. The experience culminates in a four-course feast, where Franco and Rachel will discuss how reviving lost flavours can help fix the food system.

This is a one-off chance to cook, learn, and feast with leading voices in sustainable food.

Is this course suitable for me?  We recommend this course for participants aged 12 and up. Under-16s must be accompanied by a paying adult. These guidelines are in place to ensure the safety, comfort, and enjoyment of all our guests. Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or need more information.

MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME

Meet your hosts over a light lunch featuring vibrant, flavour-packed summer fruit and veg, including rare and unusual varieties.

SESSION ONE

Stroll through the Kitchen and Market Gardens with Rachel de Thample, discovering rare and heritage varieties as you gather fresh, flavourful ingredients for the spectacular four-course feast awaiting you.

SESSION TWO

Step into the Cookery School as Rachel guides you through brilliant techniques and simple yet delicious dishes that highlight flavour and maximise the nutritional power of each ingredient.

SESSION THREE

Fire up our wood-fired pizza oven and smoker to create incredible dishes. You'll also craft a delicious ferment with Rachel and Franco, using exceptional Natoora produce—yours to take home. A perfectly matured version of your ferment will be showcased in the evening’s four-course feast.

RELAX WITH A DRINK

While the River Cottage Kitchen team puts the finishing touches on your evening feast, unwind in the garden with a summer-inspired drink and canapés, featuring some of the rare fruits and vegetables you've explored throughout the day.

DINE

Sit down to a spectacular four-course feast with Franco and Rachel, accompanied by an insightful discussion and Q&A on the powerful connection between flavour and health.

TO FINISH

After dinner, unwind with coffee and petits fours—if you can find room—before heading home.

ABOUT FRANCO FUBINI

Franco Fubini is leading a revolution in the way we eat. As the founder and CEO of Natoora, he has spent 20 years redefining seasonality and sourcing, raising the bar on flavour and transforming how top chefs and home cooks approach food across London, Paris, Milan, Copenhagen, Malmö, New York, LA, Miami, and Melbourne. Driven by his belief that reconnecting people with the true flavour of fruit and vegetables can reshape farming and supply chains, Franco has built a resilient, transparent network based on direct relationships and exceptional produce. A professor of Sustainability Management at Columbia University and a judge for the prestigious Food Planet Prize, he is also the author of In Search of the Perfect Peach: Why Flavour Holds the Answer to Fixing Our Food System.

ABOUT NATOORA

Founded by Franco Fubini in 2004, Natoora is transforming the food system by restoring flavour, transparency, and seasonality. It connects responsible growers with top chefs in London, Paris, New York, Copenhagen, and Melbourne, sourcing unique, seasonal produce directly from farms. Committed to seed selection, traditional growing methods, and exceptional flavour, Natoora champions the artistry of dedicated producers. In 2020, it expanded to home delivery in the UK and New York, with subscription boxes and an app. Londoners can also shop in Natoora’s stores in Sloane Square, Chiswick, and Notting Hill.

Highlights

  • A light lunch of seasonal tasters prepared by Rachel and the River Cottage chefs
  • Guided foraging in the River Cottage Kitchen Garden
  • Hands-on cooking sessions with Rachel de Thample, using heritage fruit & veg
  • Canapés & drinks in the garden ahead of dinner
  • Four-course feast, featuring Natoora’s rare produce
  • Q&A & book signing with Franco Fubini and Rachel de Thample
  • Take-home rare seeds to grow your own heritage varieties

Why This Event Matters

  • Over 80% of food in the UK is sold through supermarkets, limiting diversity.
  • Only 10 apple varieties are widely available—despite 7,500 known varieties worldwide.
  • Ultra-processed foods make up 63% of the UK diet, impacting health.
  • Agriculture covers half the Earth’s habitable land—how we farm matters.
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