Exclusive | Olio Picciolo’s founder on its premium olive oil, heritage, and innovative design
Olio Picciolo, a family-owned brand known for its premium extra virgin olive oil, combines three generations of tradition with elegant and innovative packaging.
In this exclusive interview, we explore Olio Picciolo’s rich heritage, take a closer look at its carefully designed packaging, and uncover what makes its olive oil stand out. Join us as we discuss the evolution of this cherished family recipe and how the brand is now making its mark on a larger stage.
Tell us a bit about the brand – its heritage, its story, and its markets
In 1979, Santo Picciolo began producing premium extra virgin olive oil in Paciano, Umbria, a family tradition now spanning three generations.
Our olives are cultivated naturally and the oil is extracted using cold-press methods. Our “olio” was originally meant to be exclusively shared within the family circle, until countless people, who declared it the best olive oil they had ever tasted, began asking to purchase it directly.
Today, we invite you to savour our unique artisanal olive oil, produced with the same intimate care and limited quantities. As we launch, our primary focus is the European market, including the UK. Our olive oil is available to everyone, and we hope people choose it for the exceptional flavour it adds to their dishes or to gift a small piece of our family’s heritage.
How does the design express the brand’s values? What inspired the design?
The design of Olio Picciolo was meticulously created to embody our family heritage and values of authenticity, quality, and transparency. Our goal was to create a timeless design that evokes nostalgia with a modern and elegant style. The tall, organic branches symbolise the fruity and peppery taste of our oil, while the strong roots represent our deep connection to tradition and the enduring legacy of past generations. This design reflects our essence and the quality of our “olio”, paying a simple yet profound homage to our heritage.
What is innovative or unusual about your packaging?
Our packaging stands out with several key features. The aluminium bottle, a traditional method for storing olive oil in Umbria, is coated in matte black with an engraved silver design. Its minimalistic look offers a luxurious appearance while displaying only the essential information. To complement this, the bottle is protected by a sustainable cardboard sleeve, providing an eco-friendly transport solution that maintains the premium look and feel. We aimed to maintain this level of quality throughout the entire tasting experience—from receiving your “olio” package at your door to after the last drop, as the sleeve can be reused to protect any of your favourite bottles!
What technical challenges did you need to overcome to manufacture the packaging, if any?
As we were set on the traditional aluminium container and wanted all packaging material to be made in Europe, the main challenge was to find the right providers to help us meet these high standards with the limited resources we had. We also had to make sure the container was easy to fill and transport while maintaining the luxurious experience we wanted to provide. Through these discussions, we finally found the perfect combination of experience and viability for Olio Picciolo, allowing us to produce packaging that meets our standards without compromise.
What reactions have you had from customers?
Since our recent launch, customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Ultimately, it’s all about the taste of the oil; and we believe we found a way to translate our exceptional olive oil into its packaging and design. Moving forward, we plan to focus on gathering more insights from our customers over the next few months to continue improving their experience for the next harvest.
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