Belgium – O.N.A.O.O. – Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori Olio di Oliva

Saskia Jankie

ONAOO — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 15:05:02 +0000

Saskia was born in the Netherlands and lives and works with her beloved family in Belgium. She studied medicine at the University of Antwerp, specializing in gynaecology and obstetrics. She is passionate about her family and her work and also has numerous sports, creative, and culinary interests.

Her love for olive oil was born while traveling. To learn all the secrets of this wonderful, healthy, and natural product, she attended training courses at the ONAOO Institute in Imperia. In 2021, Saskia earned her technical course certificate from ONAOO, and in 2024, after completing the three-year program, she earned her Professional Taster certification.

Given her medical background, she wants to raise awareness of the health benefits of good olive oil. She has a particular interest in Croatian Olive Oil and is actively expanding her network.

Saskia is an active IOC panel member of the Dutch Olive Oil Institute since 2022.

Guy Hendrickx

ONAOO — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 15:03:33 +0000

Guy started his educational path with the technical course at ONAOO in 2021 and ended in 2024 by earning the qualification of professional taster. During this period, he further expanded his skillset by attending courses at other institutes in Italy and at the New York Olive Oil Times, obtaining certification as an olive oil sommelier.

He is the owner of “Frantoiani”, a company specialising in the selection and importation of high-quality extra virgin olive oil from various regions in Italy. The company’s product range includes approximately 20 artisanal producers and 45 labels, enabling Guy to provide advice to enthusiasts and gourmets through direct sales in his store in Mechelen, Belgium, and through his e-commerce platform. The company also supplies restaurants and wine shops with fine Italian olive oils.

Additionally, Guy is an expert in the field, regularly conducting masterclasses on extra virgin olive oil and food pairing for both private and commercial audiences, as well as culinary schools. His passion for olive oil drives him to share his knowledge and introduce people to this fascinating and flavourful world. In addition to his oil business, Guy owns a winery under the brand name “Suedtiroler” and serves as a forensic accountant.

Philippe Bruyninckx

ONAOO — Tue, 21 May 2024 14:19:43 +0000

Born in a country where butter is king and mayonnaise is queen, I was pleasantly surprised by the magnificent taste and pleasantness of extra virgin olive oil during my holidays in south east Crete in the 80s.

At the time, I was working in the product engineering sector in a multinational company, but I was ready for a change.

I started importing this delicious product and I set myself the challenge of letting the people who love butter in my country taste this gift of nature. As a pilot, I knew it was possible to fly without an engine, but not without knowledge and skills. I quickly realized that additional support was needed to achieve my goals.

So I knocked on ONAOO’s door. Thanks to the dedication of the teachers, I embarked on a fascinating 3-year learning path.

I enjoyed developing my skills and knowledge and thanks to this support I have seen my business grow. Through retail, restaurant, direct sales and the web shop, I distribute two superb brands of extra-virgin olive oil, one Greek and one Spanish. “Olijfwinkel.be” is my starting point, alongside my company “Techtel.be”.