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”.

Eva Collini was born in Turin, a city linked to the automotive industry.

After working fifteen years as a quality engineer, she left her career to start a project related to extra virgin olive oil. She then enrolled in ONAOO for a technical course and an advanced course, becoming a professional taster in 2023. Meanwhile, Eva started her own project, the only oil shop in Piedmont: L’EVO di Eva.

A few years later, the oleoteca grew, helping to spread oil culture. You can buy high-quality, mainly Italian oils, and you can also buy various EVO-based products (food and cosmetics), as well as books and guides about olive oil. Eva is also on the National List of olive oil technicians and expert tasters at the Brescia Chamber of Commerce.

Pio was born in Genoa in 1966. In 1992 he founded the company “Lorenzo Costa fu Eugenio 1860”, of which he is still the director.

The company is engaged in home sales of extra virgin olive oil and other food products. In 1996 graduated Professional Taster ONAOO. Since 1998 official taster of the Genoa Chamber of Commerce. Since 2006 member of the board of directors of ONAOO, he has also participated in competitions organized by ONAOO such as TASTER OF THE YEAR and WORLDWIDE OLIVE OIL TASTER’ CHALLENGE.

Since 2016 he has been a partner in a laboratory where he produces real fresh “Pesto Genovese”. He has participated and still participates as a judge in various olive oil competitions and the World Pesto Mortar Championship in Genoa; he is also occasionally involved in popularizing extra virgin olive oil tasting for restaurateurs or simple enthusiasts.

Nicola Lotito, born in 1960, Lives in Andria (BT). Nicola has been employed by Azienda Pellegrino S.r.l. since 1990, where he currently serves as Technical Manager in the production sector.

In addition to his managerial duties, Nicola oversees bottling operations with a small team of collaborators. In 1991, he attended the extra virgin olive oil tasting course organized by ONAOO, and in 1992, he obtained the diploma of professional taster with mention of merit. Since 2015, he has been included in the Apulia Region’s Master Oilman Register.

Since 1992, Nicola has attended refresher courses for oil tasters. He participates in numerous trade fairs and workshops and also organizes farm incoming for national and foreign delegations and for schools of different orders. Nicola is a member of the national project “BIMBOIL,” for which he coordinates and facilitates tasting classes for elementary schools.