The PDO Riviera Ligure Olive Oil Consortium aims at promotion in the Horeca industry and young chefs’ training

Rural development: two projects target the Horeca industry and Hotel Schools

The role of the PDO in support for both local businesses and consumers

To answer the quest for food authenticity, quality, origin and traceability expressed by both the Italian restaurant scene and consumers, the PDO Riviera Ligure in Olive Oil Protection Consortium re-launches a twofold development activity: the first strand is devoted to product promotion in the restaurant industry, whereas the second is dedicated to training in hotel schools. The two projects, which aim at communicating the distinctive features and identity of a genuine product, are cofunded by the Rural Development Programme (Regione Liguria) and feature the technical supervision of the Qualivita Foundation.

The new promotion project dedicated to the Horeca industry targets productive relationships between PDO producers, high-end restaurant chefs and gourmet small scale retailers. The “Qualità Certificata nell’Alta Cucina” (i.e. Certified quality in Haute Cuisine) campaign took place in 3 important Northern Italy cities: Milan, Turin and Parma. Three different settings and scenes with a common denominator: PDO Riviera Ligure EVO, as interpreted by Gaetano Simonato, the Michelin star chef who chose EVO as the cornerstone of his professional career. 3 events and more than 7o Horeca professionals, selected by the Qualivita Foundation, who were involved in guided tastings and sensorial analyses lead by international oil expert Luigi Caricato. The initiative provided members of the Consortium with the opportunity of presenting their own PDO EVO to an audience of high profile professionals.

Cultural and professional approaches for the training of young students stand at the basis of the project developed by the Consortium for the students of Ligurian and Piedmontese hotel schools: 80 training sessions in 18 schools for a total 3,000 students, an introduction to the cultural and sensory characteristics of PDO Riviera Ligure.

A training methodology based on videos, slideshows and technical tasting sessions fosters the awareness and skills of tomororrow’s chefs as well as of future on demand food preparation sector professionals.

“Thanks to the positive outcomes of the Patto di Filiera (i.e. production chain agreement), the PDO Riviera Ligure and the activity of the protection Consortium – states Carlo Siffredi, President of the PDO Riviera Ligure Olive Oil Protection Consortium – have achieved important results for both our territory and consumers: on the one hand, the recovery of olive tree groves (linked to guaranteed profitability for farmers), on the other hand the improved quality of olive oil deriving from the development of the protected designation of origin – which implies control, tasting, certification and guarantee of EVO)”.