The Colavita Journey
Colavita’s history stretches back over generations and is based on a centuries-old tradition. But we’ll try to give you a flavour! Our brand has introduced Italy’s culinary specialities to the globe, and has been on an extraordinary journey…
Our story began in 1938 in Sant’Elia a Pianisi in Molise, at the olive press belonging to Giovanni and Felice Colavita. The production of their delicious and distinctive extra virgin olive oil passed to the next generation, to brothers Enrico and Leonardo – keeping it under the family name and paving the way for Colavita’s international future.
The 100% Italian extra virgin olive oil was a huge success abroad. Over the years, Colavita became a symbol of excellence for ‘Made in Italy’ gastronomy in more that 70 countries. The company extended its range of products and opened four factories – two in Italy and two in the United States – before the fourth Colavita generation returned to its roots in Italy. With the accumulated knowledge from this international experience, Colavita has committed to sharing the goodness of its oil in Italy, and fulfilling its role as a key figure in local development and a provider of products typical of the Mediterranean diet.
Our story starts nearly a century ago.
Extra virgin olive oil is central to the Colavita story and the star of our product range. Just like the family brand, the olive oil has continued to:
Respect the local area and its culinary traditions.
We support local economies in harmony with the people and traditions of the area. We are committed to sustainable development and the environment in every way - from the renewable energy that powers our factories to our net carbon zero project for the logistics side of the business. Net Carbon Zero"For the logistics area.
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Promote Italy’s food heritage across the world.
We have a wide range of products from Colavita and other leading traditional brands available internationally, and we also support projects to protect and promote Italy’s food heritage abroad. One of our key projects is the Colavita Center for Italian Food and Wine, an Italian cooking school founded by the Colavita family in 2001 as part of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York – one of the oldest and most important institutes of its kind in the world.
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Create variety and be open to new flavours from across the globe. Like every Italian abroad, Colavita is committed to maintaining its traditions and also to discovering new foods through meeting new people and visiting new places. We have enriched our range of products with a selection of specialities from across the world.
Just like our oil…
Goodness and flavour
Modest as we are, it’s official - extra virgin olive oil is good for you! And don’t take our word for it – a range of scientific studies say so too. At Colavita we’re also committed to creating a positive impact in the community, initiating projects such as Colavita Cares. We support the right to health and the benefits of a healthy diet through many social and community initiatives, including sponsorship of sporting individuals and teams such as tennis player Martina Trevisan, and the women’s’ Colavita Cycling Team.
Protecting our traditions
In creating our products, we’ve always maintained an approach which respects traditional methods. Our strong roots have allowed us to grow: our shared values, the importance of family, the art of oil production, and our relationship to the land. We have nurtured our capability to harness the fruits of the earth, sharing them today and for generations to come.
We are young at heart!
We never stop learning – we want to grow, meet changing needs and greet new opportunities while maintaining a youthful and fresh approach, generation after generation. It must be thanks to the anti-ageing properties of our oil!
I’m Olivia.
Let me introduce myself! I’m Olivia - chef by trade. I’m proud to be Colavita’s mascot and ambassador.
I’m Italian, but most definitely a citizen of the world. Round and sweet, welcoming and agreeable – but I can also be peppery and spicy! At home, the table is always sumptuously laid, ready to welcome family, friends, young, old, cats, dogs, old friends and new acquaintances – a big extended family that gets bigger every year.