FAQ
Most supermarket olive oil is blended from multiple farms, often across different regions or countries. It’s produced at scale, prioritising volume and shelf life.
DONNA FRANCA is different because every bottle comes from our founding family’s farm in Puglia — land that has been cultivated for generations. The olives are grown, harvested and milled on the same estate, giving full traceability from grove to bottle.
No cross-regional blending. No buying in external supply. No post-production mixing.
Just olive oil made the way it should be: from one place, by the people who farm it.
DONNA FRANCA was created by chef Thomas Straker and the Allegretti family in southern Italy.
Thomas spent years cooking in professional kitchens and struggled to find olive oil that delivered serious flavour without an inflated restaurant price tag. The Allegrettis had the land, expertise, and generational knowledge. The partnership was inevitable.
The name honours Francesca Allegretti — the matriarch who first planted the groves that still define each harvest.
It means every olive in your bottle comes from one property. One ecosystem. One harvest.
We don’t buy in extra olives.
We don’t blend across regions.
We don’t outsource pressing.
From tree to bottle, it happens on the same estate in the Itria Valley of Puglia.
Our Cooking Oil is a carefully prepared blend of Coratina, Leccino and Frantoiana olives. Balanced, smooth and versatile. It’s your everyday oil - from crispy fried eggs to a beautifully seared steak.
Our Finishing Oil is made from 100% Picholine olives. More aromatic and expressive. Expect floral lift, green notes and a peppery kick at the end. This is the one you drizzle over tomatoes, seafood, pasta, or tear bread into at the table.
Think of it as the final piece to elevate a dish.
Yes. Absolutely.
High-quality extra virgin olive oil is stable at normal cooking temperatures and is a cornerstone of Mediterranean kitchens. Our Cooking Oil was created specifically to handle heat beautifully while still bringing flavour.
Save the Finishing Oil for the moment after the pan.
That slight tingle? That’s a good sign.
It comes from naturally occurring polyphenols - compounds found in fresh olives that contribute to flavour and nutritional value. (The stronger the tickle, the fresher and more vibrant the oil...)
Polyphenols are natural antioxidants present in olives.
They’ve been linked to gut support, metabolic health, and overall vitality. Because olive oil contains healthy fats, these compounds are easily absorbed by the body.
In short: flavour and function in one spoonful.
Yes. The estate is certified organic and farmed with long-term soil health in mind.
Yes. The entire operation - from cultivation to extraction - runs with sustainability built in. The mill uses advanced extraction technology that reduces energy use while protecting flavour integrity.
If you store olive oil somewhere cool, it can temporarily turn cloudy or thicken. This is completely natural and doesn’t affect quality.
Bring it back to room temperature and it will return to normal.
Keep it:
• Away from direct sunlight
• Away from heat (not next to the hob)
• Sealed tightly
A cool cupboard is perfect.
Olive oil is best enjoyed fresh.
We recommend using your bottle within 12–18 months of harvest for peak flavour. Once opened, aim to enjoy it within a few months.
Good olive oil shouldn’t sit forgotten.
Yes.
UK Shipping: 7–9 business days – £5.99
Free UK shipping over £100
EU Shipping: 10–15 business days – £14.99
International Shipping: 10–15 business days – £23.99
(Exact timings may vary during launches or peak periods.)
Email us within 48 hours with photos of the packaging and product. We’ll make it right.
Because too much olive oil has become anonymous.
We wanted to create something transparent, flavour-led and rooted in place. Something chefs would use daily and home cooks would reach for instinctively.
Something that respects where it comes from.
Yes.
And no.
It’s olives grown on land that’s been cared for over generations. It’s modern milling techniques meeting old agricultural wisdom. It’s flavour that can transform something simple - bread, tomatoes, greens - into something memorable.
It’s an everyday luxury, bottled.