Two Ealing men set up micro green business that can be found in delis throughout London
WHEN 21-year-old chef, Natty Szerezla, was made redundant from his job at restaurant chain, Aubain, at the start of the pandemic, he was determined not to let it get him down.
With his childhood friend, Ronan O'Connell, from Mount Carmel
Primary School in Ealing, he turned his misfortune into a positive force with a cutting edge product that can now be found on the shelves of some of London's most prestigious delis. Micro Roots are for sale in Notting Hill's, The Grocer on Elgin, Chelsea's Partridges, high-end Spanish deli and café, Reineta in Ealing and Italian restaurant Sikulo in Northfields. The micro greens they produce (they look like a more interestingversion of mustard and cress) from all kind of vegetables and herbs including kale, coriander and beetroot, contain more nutrients than the very thing itself, as Natty explains:
"They are nutrient dense super foods, miniature versions of the thing itself with all the energy and goodness that would have gone into growing the full-size product condensed in the shoots so the vitamin and mineral compounds can be higher.
"With COVID-19, a nutritious diet is more important than ever."
It was while he was studying nutrition at the Natureopathic College of Medicine in Kings Cross, last year, that Natty hit upon the idea of Micro Roots.
Encouraged by Ronan, who was taking a year out from a
law degree, the dynamic duo, who had both attended primaryschool in Ealing, followed by The London Oratory School, decided to make use of the space in Ronan's parents' Northfields garden and build a greenhouse.
''With some financial help from our parents, we built it together," said Ronan.
"It has been a big joint effort; friends who are in the building trade
gave us a hand with the construction and the electrics and another friend helped with the website." They are keen to stress how eco-friendly their business is. "We use LED lights in the green house and can produce a lot ofhealthy foodstuffs in a small space - that is the beauty of vertical
farming," he added. Natty's appetite for a career in food was whetted when he worked at a beach café on Jersey while studying for his A-Levels. "I started out preparing food like salads and fish then the ownerstrained me up to more complicated healthy meals.
"I soon decided not to go to university to do a traditional kind of degree, as I felt passionate about food.
"I came back to London and got a job as a trainee cook with the
restaurant chain, Aubain, in London Bridge, then enrolled on anutrition course at college.
"I introduced a vegan menu at Aubain which proved the most popular choice," he said proudly.
"You don't have to like cooking to use them, just sprinkle them onto your meal, soup or salad and not only do they look pretty, they are a brilliant version of healthy fast food," said Natty who has a huge following on Instagram with his recipes.
"Eating nutritious food is vital for our overall health and is more
important now than ever," added Ronan who is surprised at thesatisfaction he gets from Micro Roots.
"I just love the growing process, it never ceases to amaze me
watching the shoots appear, and now I am back studying law itprovides me with a great way to switch off ."
The roots can be ordered online and delivered to your door within hours.
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