ABOUT us

Mezzogiorno

Mezzogiorno is Southern Italy’s nickname and can be translated into “midday” or “noon”. For the people in the south of Italy it way more significant than that; it is the moment that families gather to enjoy lunch, the moment when the sun is at its highest and the world is warm and beautiful. It embodies the philosophy of life for the Southern Italian, where quality goes above quantity always, where life is lived in a slow-paced but conscious manner and where heritage, family and real connections are at the center of everything.

We did not only fall in love with this beautiful part of Italy, above all, we fell in love with the people and their way of living. A way of living in which one does not need a lot, but where certain principles are nonnegotiable. In a world where everything seems to accelerate, Mezzogiorno chooses to follow a different path. We follow the Southern Italian philosophy of “La pazienza e la virtu dei forti” (Patience is the virtue of the strong), because we believe

Quality does not need to be pricy, as long as you're willing to take your time

After working for big multinational corporations for several years, we decided, while on a trip in Central America, that life has more in store for us. Things needed to be very different for us after our trip. We have always been in love with the south of Italy and our travels have led us there many times. We decided that we wanted to bring a little piece of our beloved Southern Italy to the Netherlands, because so many beautiful places and products remain unknown in our country. That is what we want to change.

We take you on our journey of discovery in our favorite part of Italy, we introduce you to the most beautiful places and connect to unique farmers with amazing stories. Thanks to our unique import-concept we create an opportunity for everyone to purchase from small-scale farmers in de south of Italy. We are

The direct link between you and the family farm in the South of Italy

This creates a supply chain without stock, without waste, without expensive intermediaries and complicated transport-systems. Therefore, we can offer our farmers a fair price for their products, and we can offer you unique products with the highest quality for a good price.

Eric

My passion for beautiful Italy has emerged from an early age. What started with holidays with my parents to Rome, Venice and Florence has developed into a passion to discover the unknown parts of this country. When Linda and I decided that life should have more to offer than a successful career at a big company, we decided to follow our great passion: fantastic food from the best country in the world!

My feeling for the South of Italy grows with every trip we make. With a little Italian, you can meet the most amazing people, all with their own unique story. People here are much more aware of the moment. Quality comes first, in the food but also in the contact between people. I sincerely hope that we can take part of this feeling with us to the Netherlands through Mezzogiorno. The feeling of the real Italy, the feeling of the 'Mezzogiorno'.

Linda

Cooking and eating have always been my hobbies. On the many trips I made with my family, trying exotic dishes has always been a highlight. Whether we sat down at a street stall, deep in the Indonesian jungle or went out for dinner at a trattoria in Rome, my father always had to try the most unusual thing on the menu. And we eagerly followed his example.

Later on, I learned to make these dishes myself. The adventure often started with the search for ingredients. A lot has changed in this regard in the Netherlands in recent years. In my opinion, the Dutch have started value to the "real version" of the lesser-known dishes more. An Indonesian rice table is not complete without sambal egg with salam leaf and galangal as ingredients, and a real spaghetti alla carbonara cannot do without guanciale. And so there are many delicious dishes to discover in Italian cuisine with the necessary, and equally delicious, products. It makes me very excited that we can now contribute to the curiosity (and of course creativity) of food lovers in our region!

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