By Chris Canty | Reporting from Melbourne
When Felice Trovatello and his family decided to plant 8000 olive trees on a piece of land one hour north of Melbourne in South Eastern Australia, in a way it was like coming home.
“The Kyneton area is similar to that of the Mediterranean climate with warm summers and cool winters. It resembles the Southern Italian region of Calabria, where my father Felice was born,” his son Sam says.
Kyneton Olive Oil was established in 1999, and has remained family owned and operated ever since. Felice is in charge of the overall maintenance of the olive grove, while his wife Maria prepares all the olives and tapanades from recipes going back generations. Sam oversees the operation of the processing plant and oil blending.
It is these recipes that have created products such as Nonna’s Crushed Olives and Nonna’s Whole Olives in addition to two styles of extra virgin olive oil, delicate (‘Gourmet Blend’) and robust (‘Family Selection’). Sam can’t stress the importance of cold extraction processing on site within hours of picking for optimal results.
“This ensures that the flavor and texture remain pure and consistent. It’s been a big factor in the local people embracing our products over the years and continuing to support us”.
Indeed, their highlights this past decade include winning gold medals at the Australian Olive Association awards, and being recognized in competitions in Europe, including Northern Italy and Rome.
“When the Italians are fond of your oil, it is a great compliment.”
However it is not just local consumers and international judges that have taken a liking to Kyneton Olive Oil. While the olive oil industry in Australia might be in its infancy, Sam says it is starting to make an impact around the world.
“The olive oil industry in Australia is taking off. Globally, Australia is relatively new to the olive oil industry whereas European countries have been producing olive oil for generations,” Sam explains. “Europeans tend to be partial to their products. Perhaps they see us as ‘the new kids on the block’. However, Asia and the United States are more accepting of Australian products and probably regard our product as ‘clean and green’. We just started exporting our ‘Family Selection’ range to the US last year.”
In the last few years, Sam has also noticed a change in what Australians choose to buy.
“For those that lead busy lifestyles, our 7 infused oils (lemon, basil, chili, garlic, mint, ginger and herb) have increased in popularity because they are ideal for adding flavor to salads, stir fries, seafood dishes and such,” he says. “A lot of people now want to experiment with cooking and rather than eating out, they are entertaining at home- perhaps because of all the latest cooking shows.”
Sam also suggests that the premium quality of Australian olive oil is beginning to be noticed.
“Consumer habits have changed and people are becoming aware of the health benefits of using ‘fresh’ and Australian made extra virgin olive oil as opposed to using rancid and poor quality oils from overseas.”
His strong words are justified. Australia has been the target of substandard and fake oil olive for years, though this is now being addressed. The Australian Olive Association has begun regulating the industry by introducing the Code of Practice which guarantees the quality and authenticity of extra virgin olive oil.
“The AOA are making positive moves to educate Australian consumers through the media about fresh Australian extra virgin olive oil compared to rancid imported oils. Introducing the Code of Practice is a great step forward.”
More information on their products and distribution can be found at on their website.
