Professional Taster since 2024

Elia Pellegrino was born in Bari on February 17, 1968, and currently resides in Andria (BT).

He is married with two children and holds a degree in Certified Accountant Programmer. He has been an ONAOO professional taster since 1997. Since 1991, Elia has served as the sole director of Azienda Olearia PELLEGRINO1890 S.r.l. (www.oliopellegrino.it). He is an agricultural entrepreneur operating a one-man business.

In 2022, he assumed the role of president of AIFO (www.associazionefrantoiani.it), succeeding in 2012 when he was elected vice president. Since 2018, he has served as vice president of OP Aproli Bari scarl (www.aproli.it) and board member of Filiera Olivicola Olearia Italiana FOOI. He has been a board member of Consorzio Olio IGP Puglia since 2021.

Nina is a dedicated olive oil nerd with a passion and mission to spread the knowledge about and access to high-quality EVOO in Denmark. She has been an ONAOO Professional Taster since 2022. Nina owns “Oliviers & Co.” in Denmark with her partner.

The business was established in 2019 after Nina had been working in the Copenhagen boutique shop on and off since 2006, next to her university studies. Nina disseminates knowledge about EVOO at the two “Oliviers & Co.” boutique shops in Copenhagen. Customers are guided and can sample the extensive range of olive oils from reputable producers with full traceability, along with other Mediterranean delicacies.

The shops are located in Frederiksberg and in the food market “TorvehallerneKBH”. She also teaches about olive oil at monthly olive oil tastings in the boutique and at events. Additionally, she oversees the online operations of the “Oliviers & Co.” web shop – oliviersogco.dk – and its associated social media channels, where she engages with consumers about olive oil. Nina holds a degree in Public Health and Food Policy from a university.

Özden Gözlüklü Saka, a graduate of Dokuz Eylül University in Izmir with a degree in Business Administration, completed an MBA at the University of Sunderland’s London campus.

She currently serves on the executive committee of the Women Entrepreneurs of the Aydın Chamber of Industry and is also a member of the Women in Agriculture cooperative in Kuşadası/Aydın. She maintains her professional involvement with her family business, HAUS Centrifuge Technologies, a manufacturer of olive oil extraction machines in Turkey.

The company, which is a leading industry benchmark, is now in its third generation of family ownership. As a key member of the family business, she played a pivotal role in establishing a state-of-the-art olive oil production and research and development facility in Kuşadası/Aydın. Additionally, Özden is the founder and manager of the Defnelia extra virgin olive oil brand, which is distributed both in-store at the factory and through an online sales platform.

She takes great pride in being able to explain to her customers the importance of quality olive oil, a topic that has been a lifelong interest of hers, beginning with her childhood when she helped her mother with the olive harvest. Her personal connection to the product prompts her to appreciate the significant effort and dedication required to harvest and process olives into olive oil, a process she considers highly valuable. Özden completed her training, having begun the ONAOO technical course in 2022 in Palermo. In 2024, she earned the qualification of professional taster, which will strengthen her commitment to the industry. It will also allow her to further deepen and raise awareness of tasting techniques and interpretation of olive oil’s organoleptic characteristics.