Let's discover the Frantoio Le Fascine brand: here is our interview

Puglia: the region of a thousand flavors. This land is characterized by many typical products, the result of a tradition that has lasted for centuries. Among the most famous dishes and products originating from this territory, there is certainly the Extra Virgin Olive Oil, also known as Puglian green gold, (here you can find all the Puglian oil producers) which is part of the Italian cultural heritage. This ancient food is the protagonist of a dream: in the heart of the Tavoliere delle Puglie, in 1987, the Frantoio Le Fascine was born.

In San Severo, a municipality in the province of Foggia, Michele was born in the 1930s. His family has always dedicated their energies to the production of wine and oil, and he, immersed in this passion since childhood, has the desire to make Provenzale Extra Virgin Olive Oil known to the world.
In 1985, his dream begins to take shape and with commitment, work, sacrifices, and dedication, he founded Le Fascine and worked hard to create a label that could be recognized worldwide for its quality and excellence.

We love these realities, these producers of unique, certified, and award-winning delicacies: they are true treasures nestled in our Peninsula among seas and mountains and in the most remote streets of villages and countryside. We do not stop at living only their products but want to discover more closely the protagonists of this brand. That’s why we have sent some questions to those who manage communication with us.

Stay with us to learn about the Frantoio Le Fascine: read the answers!
 

• Who are we talking to?
  I am Roberto Prattichizzo, Manager of Frantoio Le Fascine.
   
• Is the company family-run? In what year was it founded and how did the early years develop?
  The company has been family-run for 3 generations. It was founded by my father, Michele Prattichizzo, in 1985 and has been managed alongside my brothers who have welcomed the third generation in recent years.
   
• Who was the founder and what was his training or what was the working and professional field he came from if different from the current one?
  The company was born as an “agricultural fund” in 1725 and after more than two and a half centuries, thanks to Michele Prattichizzo, it transformed in 1985 into an olive mill. Michele was a profound connoisseur and admirer of the Provenzale olive tree and had a great passion for its fruits that could bring unparalleled aromas to Mediterranean cuisine. After several years spent in the agri-food sector and with the savings from hard work, in 1985 he succeeded in realizing his dream: he founded Frantoio Le Fascine, a mill where he could control the various stages of processing and obtain a valuable product with the highest production standards.
   
• What is the real reason or triggering fact behind the birth of this company and when did it happen?
  He wanted to do everything to create a label that could be recognized all over the world as a synonym of Excellence. But he faced a hard reality, made up of unfair competition and murky regulations that are not friendly to honest producers. Year after year, during a life spent fighting against mediocrity, he succeeded. We know well that he did not completely realize his dream. But Michele never gave up! This is the lesson he left us.
   
• What is your relationship with the land of origin and its typicality? And why do you want to tell it through your products?
  Our ancestors planted those same trees over 250 years ago that still give us their fruits today. Those same fruits sustain those who work with the land, respect it, and love it.
   
• What was the first product you created?
  The Classic Monocultivar EVO Oil Provenzale.
   
• What is the product that you now consider to be your “flagship”?
  The Organic Monocultivar EVO Oil Provenzale.
   
• And what is the product that throughout the company’s history has carried the beating heart, philosophy, and soul of the company itself?
  The Classic Monocultivar EVO Oil Provenzale with intense but not aggressive fruitiness, rounded, complete, and pleasant on the palate thanks to careful selection and skilled processing.
   
• Let’s talk about today: how much has the company grown since its inception? Can we have some numbers?
  Here are some numbers that represent our business reality: 153 hectares are the lands of the family farm; 22,577 olive trees of which 12,350 are centuries old; 128 trusted farms that annually supply their harvest to Frantoio Le Fascine; 1787 tons of olives delivered to our collection points in the last olive oil campaign 2018/19; 88 is the percentage of our processing intended for wholesale sales to olive mills across the national territory; 175,000 liters is the storage capacity in a climate-controlled environment at a constant temperature; 16-08959 is the number of the organic conformity certificate issued by the control body Suolo e Salute since 2004.
   
• At this moment: more tradition or more innovation?
  Maximum innovation with the utmost devotion to tradition. Without ever forgetting where we started from.
   
• What has been the most important evolution of the company to bring it to what it is today?
  The development of a sales network through online channels along with the optimization of production processes.
   
• Talking instead about the future: what tomorrow awaits the company? Are there any planned changes or new evolutionary processes?
  The company will increasingly seek to make its products known abroad and in the world, promoting the Monocultivar EVO Oil Provenzale.
   
• Do you plan to create new products?
  We are currently creating a line of preserves “Sottoilnostrolio Le Fascine”.
   
• Having focused on Spaghetti & Mandolino, how important is online sales for you, what has your relationship with this sales channel been in the past and how do you see it in the future?
  Italian EVO oil is among the most sophisticated and imitated products in the world. We have always believed that online is one of the most important channels to reach families that are attentive to what they put on their table. In this, we believe that the synergy with Spaghetti e Mandolino can help us in our growth journey.
   
• Value: what has it been, what is it today, and what will it be in the future for your company?
  Together with my brothers, we have often asked ourselves how to offer a better and more exciting product to those buying our EVO. The answer to this question is contained within our Company Logo. We decided to link the name of the founder Michele Prattichizzo to Frantoio Le Fascine. This simple gesture will help us never give in to the temptation of mediocrity. A solemn commitment made to our Dad and to those who, day after day, welcome us at their table.

S&M