29 November 2009, 13:14 PM
  • Retailers, distributers and press from across Europe (including Speciality Food magazine) were invited to the ninth Olioliva event in Liguria

The Italian Trade Commission organised tastings of olive oils and wines [picture inset] attracting consumers and businesses from across the globe.

With over 2,000 different types of olive in the world, 700 of which come from Italy, olive oil held centre stage.

It was an impressive promotion of both its commercial and traditional value.

Products ranged from ROI’s Extra Virgin Taggiasca olive oil (handmade and bottled in minimal quantities by the Boeri family since 1900) to Raineri’s range of blended olive oils, mechanically produced and bottled at a speed of 6,000 per hour before being stored in volumes of up to 16,500 litres.

The latter produce olive oil for supermarkets across Europe, while ROI sells directly to Italians and independent UK distributers, charging as much as €12 per 1 litre bottle - approximately twice the price of many others in the country.

The cost is justified by a laborious and painstaking production method, carried out by hand and relatively unchanged in the last century.

Even with an €80,000 investment into new machinery in 2007 - the first major step towards modernisation – the Boeri family still harvest the olives by beating the branches with a trappa [long branch].

5kg of olives are needed to make just 1 litre of olive oil and the average tree produces a yield of 15kg, all of which is retrieved manually.

“People don’t mind paying more because they understand the time and number of people it takes to make the oil,” explained Mrs Rosselle Boeri, owner.

The effort is being recognised by an increasing number of consumers and currying favour with some of the UK’s top food buyers.

“Taggiasca olives are my favourite. We stock over 30 different olive oils in Harvey Nichols (Knightsbridge), two of which are from Liguria,” said Kelly Molly, one of three buyers for the retailer’s famous Foodmarkets.

“Most people ask for olive oil from Tuscany, but there are those that will now specifically request oil from Liguria,” she explained.

Despite the increased popularity of British alternatives in recent years, Italian olive oils are still gaining new ambassadors.

“Italian olive oil appeals to people from all over the world because it’s the very best,” said Erno Bajai, editor of Trade Magazine in Hungary.

The publication has a readership of over 12,000 food retailers.