Greg Scopas is selling his artisan olive oil at Grey Lynn Farmers Market on Sunday mornings.
We asked the entrepreneur to tell us his story...
Where did you grow up?
I am still trying to grow up. I was born in Christchurch but Italian food and culture is the passion that has coloured my life.
Why Italy?
If Italy was a bucket, I have been dipped in it. As a small child, I lived in Italy for a year with my Italian grandparents. It has left me with vibrant memories of tasting things, including sipping wine that Nonno (grandfather) slipped me when Nonna (grandmother) wasn’t looking. It was joyful. I remember lying in bed hearing a cart go passed and a man yelling about cheap fish.
Is that how you became interested in olive oil?
I vividly remember another trip to Italy as a teenager. The olive oil vendor visited my grandmother, there were negotiations, and cognac to seal the deal. When grandma asked me to check her maths, I realised how strong the drink was.
My grandmother bought the annual olive oil supply for the extended family. When family members visited, they always left with some oil.
What came before your olive oil business?
A range of food service businesses, culminating with Italian sausages.
Sausages?
Yes, I was known as the sausage guy. I made sausages in the traditional Italian way. I sold them at Matakana and nationwide – we had a delicatessen selling olive oil and artisan small goods that we made.
How did you get from sausages to olive oil?
We bought an olive grove on the outskirts of Wellsford because it had a factory suitable for making sausages. When covid hit, we were struggling to get quality meat, so I turned my focus to the olive grove.
Was it easy to make that transition?
When I tasted the previous owners’ first batch, it was awful, and I realised how much there was to learn. My food service background helped me work out that hygiene is critical – everything must be scrupulously clean. My big breakthrough came when an Italian olive oil expert visited. Entering the factory, he surprised me by saying, “I can tell that you are doing things right – it smells clean.” I picked up lots of tips from him.
Where did the name Salumeria Fontana come from?
It was our sausage brand and it seemed right for oil too. ‘Salumeria' means delicatessen and ‘Fontana' means fountain. I have fond memories of playing in the fountain in the village square from my childhood visit to Italy.
Does the oil all come from your olive trees?
We have about 500 trees, but a big part of our business is pressing olives for other growers. Occasionally, I press olives for Leon Narbey when he needs some back-up. [Ed: Leon sells at Grey Lynn Farmers Market when he has enough stock.] I love working with Leon because he understands and pays attention to the details. It is important that olives are kept cool during picking, and keeping leaves and stalks out makes a better oil – it’s very labour intensive. We actively discourage our customers spraying their olives.
How was the 2023 season?
Terrible! All that rain caused big problems for most growers. My 10 largest customers didn’t pick a single olive for fear of producing a substandard oil. Other growers, like Leon, had much smaller crops. Luckily, the 2024 season is looking very exciting – hot dry summers are great for olives.
How are markets important to you?
People need to try oils before they choose one. The taste differs as oils age, depending on the variety, when they are picked, and how they are pressed. You can’t tell how good an oil is by looking at the bottle.
What is the funniest thing a customer has said to you?
I heard a woman loudly swearing and complaining. Worried, I asked if something was wrong. She said, “Yes! How come your oil tastes this good and ****[brand] taste like s*!t?” She was surprised how good our oil tasted. It all comes down to getting lots of details right at every step – caring for the trees, harvesting and processing. Pop by the market and taste what I mean.
www.greylynnfarmersmarket.co.nz
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Published: November 2023