Here in the UK the ‘dip’ of olive oil and balsamic is still offered in some restaurants prior to a meal, but not so in Italy these days. Yes, a drizzle of really good Extra Virgin Olive Oil on bread perhaps..but no balsamico! It really is worth buying a good balsamic,...

2023 was a year of us having to make some adjustments, mainly due to Brexit! We now have to plan our projects carefully as we have succumbed to the dreaded 90 out of 180 days stay limitation…just as well Jerry has a love of spreadsheets and records almost every minute...

As we leave England for Italy, family and friends say: “Have a nice time!” Or, more often than not: “Enjoy your holiday!” Little do they know we’ll be up with the lark at 5.30am to work in the vines before it gets too hot. But I guess that’s what living the life is...

Created for an exacting Parisian chef, who demanded a balsamic without the colour or intensity of traditional balsamic, our Bianco Balsamico is made from Trebbiano grapes, aged slowly in stainless steel barrels to preserve its deliciously honeyed hue. It’s still made...

It’s almost time for the olive harvest, and so Jerry and I are on a whistle-stop trip to Italy this week to check on all 500 trees, and the vines. It’s still blisteringly hot, but a joy to be at Sant’Elia in early autumn, to watch the seasons change and to welcome the...

We caught a great podcast recently by olive oil champion Elizabeth Berger and scientist Prof Tim Spector, olive oil evangelist and founder of science and nutrition app Zoe. Berger is the founder of Frantoi, which works with growers and olive millers across Italy to...

Only four weeks into 2025 and our minds are whirring with excitement for the year ahead.  We can’t believe we’re planning our Christmas fairs for December!  We love our Food and Christmas Fairs, actually I think Chloe and I spend most of our time chatting to...

Well, who would have thought as we planted our first one hundred olive trees as Casa Sant Elia was being renovated, that we would be producing an award winning Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The estate has doubled in size since then, with Chloe and Braz (daughter and...

“All you need is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure” …said Mark Twain. We were definitely ignorant! when in 2004 we bought a derelict farmhouse in Le Marche, Italy, and planted our first olive trees. We had no idea which type to plant and relied on...

We really can’t believe it’s September already and we are now heading into our busiest time of the year. It’s been a glorious summer, we’ve met so many lovely people at the Summer Fairs that we have been to for the very first time this year. Madresfield Village Fete...