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Where it all started
Linda in the Mezzogiorno
Two years ago, I decided to turn my life around. I have always worked for large corporations in the tech industry. Over the years, I have discovered that I need more freedom in making my own decisions than can be offered by these companies. But what was I going to do then? Suddenly, the world is at your feet, and that is very complicated. I decided to take a big trip through Central America with Eric, my boyfriend.
We have always been adventurous travelers and have seen much of the world, but the country that we have been drawn to time and time again is not even that far away. That country is our beloved Italy. During our 'sabbatical' - as you could call it - the idea arose to bring a small piece of beautiful Italy to the Netherlands. I have always been interested in cooking and know quite a bit about Italian cuisine, its ingredients, and techniques. And what is more Italian than indulging in a lavish meal with great, high quality ingredients? Surprisingly to us, it's still difficult to find most of these great ingredients in the north of Europe. That's when we decided to start an online platform where beautiful products are made available directly from the farm in Italy!
We decided to focus on Southern Italy. Actually, compared to the industrial north, the south is like a country on its own. Here, everything moves slower, the siesta is longer, and the distance, both physically and linguistically, is greater. This makes it difficult for a small family business to reach the busy north of Europe. So, armed with our book 'Italian for dummies', we traveled to Naples to start our tour there.
In search of the best olive oil, the tastiest wine, the most artisanal charcuterie, and the finest pasta, we asked around at restaurants, B&Bs, and passersby. Then came the first exciting moment, we had to make contact! With no past experience and only basic knowledge of Italian, how seriously would we be taken? I had read online that in the hinterlands of Campania, in the foothills of the Apennines, the 'Barolo of the South' could be found. That's where we were going to start.
On a rainy afternoon, we searched online for a winemaker who seemed suitable. After making a choice, we got into the car. Taking a deep breath, we rang the doorbell. Unfortunately, no one answered the door that afternoon. So, we resorted to calling on the phone. "Pronto!" it sounded on the other end of the line. "Parla Inglese?" I asked hopefully. Luckily, the answer was "yes," and I could tell my story in English. To my surprise – I'm not usually an optimist – there was great enthusiasm on the other end of the line. Of course, we were welcome to visit, could we come the very next day?
The next day we were warmly welcomed by Chiara, who runs the business with her brother. She showed us around the facilities and told us what was so special about the Taurasi, also known as the Barolo of the south. After the tour, we were naturally allowed to taste. As soon as we entered the room, we were welcomed by Chiara's mother, who had prepared all sorts of delicious snacks for us. Throughout the afternoon, we tasted wine and got to know Chiara's family and culture. It was our first real introduction to the endless hospitality of the deep south!
After the successful start of that first journey, we also had some less positive experiences. When I called one of our first olive oil producers in Puglia and asked in Italian if he spoke English, the answer was: "No! click". The first encounters with families who don't speak English have been quite stressful but rewarding at the same time. In southern Italy – and among our suppliers – there are many who speak nothing but Italian. Little by little, my Italian is improving, and that is greatly appreciated!
Our journeys, in search of the tastiest products made by passionate people with beautiful stories, have led us through the more remote areas of Southern Italy. Just like the remote Apennines, where we find the vineyards of theTaurasi, you'll find hardly any tourists in the heart of Sicily. Although the stunning beaches beckon in the region with the longest coastline in Italy, the inland is also beautiful and culturally rich. Here, you'll find the 'ordinary' Southern Italian, which to me is even more of a cultural immersion than visiting the Roman and Greek temples scattered across the island.
This is especially true for the region of Calabria, where tourism is actively suppressed due to the presence of the Calabrian organised crime, the 'Ndrangheta. It's here that curious Italians might just start a conversation with you, and suddenly you find yourself at their dining table. Because if we're looking for the best products, then we must come and dine with them extensively, and then they'll proudly tell us where the best wine in Calabria comes from! These stories are numerous and part of our platform to convey the feeling of Southern Italy in the Netherlands. We share them in the form of a blog on our platform and as part of the story around a product and the farmer.
What I have learned during our travels is that it's not easy for these farming businesses to reach Northern Europe. It starts with the language barrier, but it's much more than that. These families do what they love to do, and do it best, which is making their product. That's not the same as networking, marketing, and approaching strangers. So, everyone is actually very happy when Northern Europe suddenly shows up at their doorstep. Although, we learned they wouldn't be so welcoming to bigger corporates by fear of being pressured into lowering their prices and having to compromise on quality in the long run.
With us, it's different. We're a small company whose two owners they know and trust. And they understand that to us, the added value is the quality of the product and that can only be achieved through small scale production. Through our platform, we make products available that can otherwise only be found on vacation in Italy. In my opinion, that's the raison d'être of Mezzogiorno.
I hope that with Mezzogiorno my life will be enriched with new, meaningful connections and experiences, and that one day we can make a living from this. Over the past year and a half, we have worked hard to develop a concept, build a platform, and offer a range of beautiful products, with even more beautiful stories. Now the challenge is to make that known to the world.
Related stories
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La Cucina Povera
When we talk about Southern Italian cuisine, we often refer to la cucina povera, the "poor mans' kitchen." The further you travel down the boot, the poorer the environment generally becomes. This is also reflected in the culinary traditions. However, this does not mean that the cuisine is not rich in extravagant flavors! On the contrary, a good dish from the cucina povera is truly delicious!
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Organic Wine
Many small winemakers in Italy work organically. This means that the grapes they use to make wine are grown without using chemical products such as fertilizers and pesticides. Almost all of our winemakers work completely organically, but this does not always mean that they have the BIO certificate. In Italy, and in many other countries, obtaining this certificate is a bureaucratic and expensive process. As a result, some of our winemakers choose not to obtain the certificate, but this does not make their wine any less organic.
Scarcity leads to higher prices and more tampering.
The price of olive oil has skyrocketed in recent years, with the last year setting an absolute record. Unfortunately, our farmers are also feeling the pinch, leading to increased prices for us as well. This surge has many causes. Harvests are being affected by droughts in Southern Europe and by increasing olive diseases spread by insects. Moreover, labor costs for olive picking are rising, and it's becoming increasingly difficult to find people for this task. Together, these factors contribute to a high price of the basic product: the olive. Additionally, producers are facing inflation in packaging materials and the energy required in the production process. Price hikes are evident across the entire market spectrum, affecting both small-scale quality oil production and mass-produced supermarket varieties.