The Quiet Magic of the Olive Harvest
Watch the trees sway, savour each drop, and let Tuscany slow the world around you.
Watch the trees sway, savour each drop, and let Tuscany slow the world around you.
Some experiences don’t just teach you something they change the way you taste, smell, and remember.
When Richard travelled to Tuscany with Filippo Berio for their annual Olive Harvest Trip, he stepped into the world of one of Italy’s most celebrated olive oil producers and discovered the craftsmanship, passion, and history behind every bottle.
Surrounded by rolling hills, ancient olive groves, and the unmistakable warmth of Italian hospitality, the trip took Richard deep into Tuscany’s culture of food, family, and flavour.
From historic villas to bustling factory floors, each day offered a new perspective on what it means to create world-class olive oil.
Flying into Pisa with the Filippo Berio team, Richard travelled straight into the heart of the countryside.
His home for the next two nights: Toscana Saporita Cookery School, set inside a beautifully preserved 500-year-old farmhouse, where food, history, and community come together.
A welcoming food demonstration
Regional dishes prepared by local chefs
Wine shared around long wooden tables
A first glimpse into Tuscany’s rhythm – unhurried, generous, unforgettable
The farmhouse offered the same sense of thoughtful calm found in Heron Cabin: every detail designed to slow life down, to savour, to learn.
After breakfast, Richard visited the beating heart of the Filippo Berio operation – a factory producing 100 million litres of olive oil every year.
Filippo Berio began in 1867 in Lucca; over 150 years later, it supplies 70 countries worldwide.
Due to global demand, oils arrive from Spain, Greece, Tunisia, and across the Mediterranean.
Once inside the facility, oils are refined, blended, tested, and bottled, with each batch tasted by experts to guarantee consistency.
From crude oil to finished product: a precise 18-hour journey.
It was a powerful contrast to the small-batch production that would come later – a theme echoed in the original case study’s blend of authenticity and craft.
At the historic Filippo Berio Villa, Richard stepped into a more intimate scale of production.
Here, 22,500 olive trees line the estate, producing around 10,000 litres of pure 100% Italian olive oil each year – roughly 20,000 bottles.
Olive trees take seven years to produce their first harvest.
The villa’s full harvest lasts around four weeks.
Freshly pressed oil tastes alive – vibrant, peppery, and unlike anything bottled.
Standing among the groves, tasting oil straight from the press, Richard experienced the same kind of quiet, grounding stillness described in the Heron Cabin narrative the kind that stays with you.
Back at the cookery school, another hands-on Italian cooking session awaited.
Dinner and wine flowed into late evening conversations – a slow, communal experience where food became a language of its own.
On the final morning, Richard explored the walled city of Lucca, wandering narrow streets, enjoying lunch, and soaking in the charm of one of Tuscany’s most historic towns.
From there, it was back to Pisa Airport and home – carrying new memories, new knowledge, and a deepened appreciation for the olive oil he once took for granted.
Moments That Defined the Trip:
This wasn’t just a trip – it was a rare opportunity to slow down, learn deeply, and connect with the heritage behind a household name.
The Filippo Berio Harvest Trip reveals the quiet magic of its craft: the hands, stories, and landscapes that make each bottle possible. Want to share your story?
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