Olive oil has always been an indispensable part of the Verweij family's kitchen. When it comes to the best kind, the extra virgin olive oil, it is often not as virgin as the name suggests. As connoisseurs and aficionados, father and son Verweij have set up a joint family business with the Koufozisis family. Together they developed the Cretan Ethics brand, extra virgin olive oil as it should be. "A passion for olive oil is what connects us. Sharing this with the rest of the world is what drives us," it sounds.
The roots of olive cultivation in Crete go back very far. According to tradition, the first olive tree was in Crete. For as long as the Koufozisis family can remember, they have been cultivating olive groves on the Greek island and producing olive oil has been a way of life. They also grow grapes and there is a link with father Arco Verweij, co-owner of DSI. “A lot of olive oil from Crete leaves the island in bulk. The Koufozisis family used to produce mainly for their own/local use. The family has long had the ambition to develop their own brand for their special extra virgin olive oil. We are going to market it for them,” say Arco and son Hanno about the origins of the Greek-Dutch family business Cretan Ethics.
For the Verweij family, the sale of olive oil is a sideline, because everyone uses their skills and abilities, they can handle it professionally and efficiently. It is also logistically a bit easier than a fresh product. Olive oil is best consumed within 1.5 years. Arco and Hanno take care of the commercial side. Various Koufozisis family members are responsible for production and quality control, from grandpa who still drives around the orchard on the tractor and grandma who takes care of the tasty lunches to Eugenia, who is a qualified taste tester. Within the Verweij family, the tasks are also divided according to competence. “My father has the most commercial experience and makes the contacts. In my daily life I am Team Leader Salesforce at the automation company Growteq and I am always busy automating business processes to organize everything as efficiently as possible. This way we can do this on the side and focus mainly on finding customers', Hanno explains.
Father and son Verweij share a passion for cooking and tasty products and enjoy sharing this together. There is great potential. “On average, the Dutch use only one kilogram of olive oil per capita per year, in the Mediterranean countries that is many times higher. Greeks are major consumers with an average of 12 kilograms per year per capita,” says Hanno. “Most Dutch people buy olive oil in the supermarket, but that is often not the best and not always extra virgin, even though it is indicated on the packaging. To be called extra virgin, the oil must meet very strict requirements and be handled extra carefully after harvesting. The checks on this are limited to a technical analysis, while you also have to smell and taste to determine this. You can't actually produce extra virgin for the prices charged by the supermarket.”
It is also for this reason that Cretan Ethics has invested in its own production facility, which means that harvesting, pressing and bottling can be done entirely in-house. “It will also make us more flexible. We currently have three types of packaging, bottles of 250, 500 and 750 ml, but soon we will also be able to supply in 5-litre cans if customers so wish,” they conclude.
This article was written by Marjet Lubbers for AGF Primeur (September 2022).
