Steven Novick is the Founder/Eco-preneur/Co-owner of Farmstand
What is happiness to you?
Simple things: being around good people (friends or family or even people I just met) and trying to make a genuine connection with everyone I come across.
Do you consider yourself a happy person and if so, how did you get there and how do you maintain it?
I would say in general, yes. Although saying one is a ‘happy person’ might be potentially rather ambitious… things ebb and flow (as that’s life) so I would rather say content, positive, optimistic (which is what ‘wellness’ is about in my opinion). I’m very measured and I don’t believe in extremes (being super happy or super excited), I try to enjoy it all (good or bad) and take it as it comes… and find a way to learn from it all.
I meditate every morning when i first wake up (before I brush my teeth or feed our mascot, Bruno, who’s a black lab), I run every day and cycle everywhere.
I also only have good people around me (I believe we all have personal ‘gardens’ that require ‘weeds’ to be pulled from time to time).
I also eat a plant-powered diet with nothing added – mostly vegan which is the diet I went on when I was diagnosed with cancer in 2006 and have been following since I had cancer. I believe it was vital to improving my health and is also what the Farmstand menu is based on: 80{35d3525f1c030a1ad48e5d7c137e9475e12a267c00dd63e0fd71f891391fbb40} vegan, 5{35d3525f1c030a1ad48e5d7c137e9475e12a267c00dd63e0fd71f891391fbb40} sustainable fish, 15{35d3525f1c030a1ad48e5d7c137e9475e12a267c00dd63e0fd71f891391fbb40} ethical meat (no pork); no added sugar, no dairy and no artificial ingredients.
How does Farmstand contribute to Londoners being a little (or a lot!) happier?
This is what Farmstand is about! So hopefully it helps Londoners in a few ways:
- TAKING A STAND
- POSITIVELY PLANT-POWERED
- SEASONAL FEASTING: we make our own food using in-season ingredients from ethical UK suppliers
- NOTHING ADDED: our food is free from dairy, added sugar and artificial ingredients
- NOTHING WASTED: 0{35d3525f1c030a1ad48e5d7c137e9475e12a267c00dd63e0fd71f891391fbb40} landfill waste, zero plastic water bottles. No last mile delivery. All physical locations are pick-up points
- TREATED EQUALLY: Our food is priced so everyone can afford it. Full time team are owners of the business. Highest paid person is only paid 2.5x the lowest. 50{35d3525f1c030a1ad48e5d7c137e9475e12a267c00dd63e0fd71f891391fbb40} of our Board and team are women.
Your favourite “happy place” in London
Playing fetch with my dog Bruno in Primrose Hill park (as I’m only two minutes away)
Your top happiness tip
I don’t offer advice, just suggestions… my only suggestion is to keep things as simple as possible in every aspect of our lives. Life is ultimately about the choices we make.