Mark Bittman Is Leaving Food Delivery Start-Up Purple Carrot

Don't miss stories. Follow Eater × He joined the well-funded company last fall Less than a year after joining the vegan meal kit start-up Purple Carrot, Mark Bittman is moving on from the venture, according to Mother Jones. Though he apparently plans to retain some ownership in the company, he told the publication he was "ready for something new." Bittman started working with the company last fall, shortly after he announced he would leave his role as food columnist for the New York Times. He was with the Times for 30 years. At the time, he told Eater he joined Purple Carrot for "an opportunity to deal directly with farmers, to deal directly with doing sourcing, to have a direct impact on the way people eat." Purple Carrot aims to deliver pre-packaged, plant-based meals to consumers. Bittman's role involved recipe development, but when talking about his plans in November, Bittman told Eater "Why don't you ask me in six months?" Meanwhile, the company has raised an additional $5 million in funding as of this week. Now, six months later, he's leaving for an as-yet undetermined destination, even as the prepared meal kit trend is on the rise. Bittman's former employer, the Times, is getting into business with Chef'd, another meal kit delivery service, to bring readers their favorite Times recipes. Mark Bittman Leaves Vegan Meal-Kit Company Purple Carrot [Mother Jones] Why Mark Bittman Is Joining Purple Carrot, a Plant-Based Meal Kit Delivery Service [E] Food Columnist Mark Bittman Signs Off From The New York Times, Joins Food Startup [E] The 'New York Times' Is Getting Into the Meal Kit Delivery Business [E] Share Tweet Share