„We have been chosen to supply Tesco”

Olive oil from Italy is on the offensive. Product presentation and sampling will be held in the Italian Cultural Institute in Budapest on 23 May. We have been invited to the finals of the Italian Olive Oil Competition held in Spoleto at the end of March. Angelo Guidobaldi showed us the state of the art pressing machine used by his family business for making olive oil. They make the best quality olive oil even by Italian standards. His daughter Irene told us all the details: We are 150 kilometres north of Rome, on the outskirts of a small town called Trevi, in the premises of the family business holding the name of Il Frantoio Societa Agricola Trevi. When they started the business 40 years ago, her grandfather decided to make the best quality. They received the first Italian certificate of premium quality in 1994, while the second one was awarded eight years later and they also have a recent British award testifying to the good relationship developed with Tesco, where they have become the Italian supplier producing the highest quality. In the beginning, harvest started in mid-November, but the climate has become warmer since then, bringing harvest forward to October. All olives are harvested by hand to avoid any damages, which makes the process more expensive, but quality is guaranteed. Not more than 24 hours elapses between harvesting and pressing, which also contributes to premium quality. Equipment and technology used in the pressing plant is improved constantly with help from the experts of the university of Perugia. 300 local farmers have formed a co-operative under the name of Aprol Perugia to bottle their produce in Trevi, producing six tons of extra virgin olive oil annually for Tesco. 365 brands of olive oil from 16 provinces have been entered for the national competition after local qualifying trials. All provinces had a representative in the jury which evaluated fragrance and taste. Samples were served in brown glasses to neutralise any differences in colour. According to Tonino Zelinotti, co-ordinator of the jury, this competition encourages olive producers to improve quality and also promotes the product. The Belgians are the current European champions in olive oil consumption with a total quantity near 330 tons last year. The popularity of olive oil is the result of the intensive promotion of healthy dietary habits. Hungary imported five times more olive oil in terms of value from Italy than from Spain last year, with brands like Carapelli, Bertolli, Olitalia, De Cecco, Monini and Costadoro appearing in the market. The final of the competition was held in Teatro Caio Melisso, built in the 17th century. This year, the Guidobaldis finished in second place, but looked as if they had won a gold medal at the Olympic games.