Our very first small-size cans were gold.
They looked like ingots of gold – liquid gold!
At that time, no one had thought to package olive oil in little 250 mL or 500 mL cans, let alone add labels to them…
It was a fresh, original idea, and people loved it.
What’s more, it was very practical too: the can kept the oil fresher for longer, weighed less and, unlike glass, it didn’t break.
Back then, the few Spanish premium EVOO brands in existence used dark glass bottles that mimicked the classic “Made in Italy” look and style.
In Tuscany, there were small producers who were already lovingly crafting limited production oils. A far cry from the big-name brands who were buying olive oil from Spain and selling it as Italian.
That was a different business and market altogether: large, industrial, and not artisanal.
In those days (around 2008), Andalusia was the kingdom of bulk sales: anonymous markets where brokers called the shots and olive oil was treated like just another commodity.. And yes,the cosa nostra was having a field day.
When olive oil is traded as a basic commodity on the stock market, its price is dictated by supply and demand, and quality is neither appreciated nor rewarded.
This doesn’t foster a quality market. And that world of supply and demand where only quantity mattered was far removed from what I genuinely cared about.
I wanted to learn how to make the best olive oil my land could offer, and give it the respect and dignity it deserved through a meaningful and inspiring brand.
And so La Cultivada carried messages on its labels and on its cards.
It took at least a decade for any of that to be truly appreciated.
Romantic? Or visionary?
Here’s a glimpse of those very first golden cans…
Elena Vecino
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