Olive oil workshop & tasting experience at your villa
Cooking ClassesDuration:from 2 to 3 hours
Rates
THE “GREEN” GOLD OF TUSCANY DIRECTLY AT YOUR VILLA
Do you want to get immersed in the traditions of Tuscany by simply sitting in the comfort of your Tuscan holiday home? Are you curious about the use of olive oil in the local cuisine and you want to learn more about it? Yes, it is all possible! Our expert and knowledgeable guide will come to your place and share with you everything you need to know about one of the symbols of Tuscany: extra virgin olive oil!
The heart of Tuscan culinary tradition
When we mention extra virgin olive oil, we mean local culture, traditions, history, heritage and lifestyle. This is what it will be all about. Our olive oil expert will come to your villa and share with you all the secrets for the excellent local production of extra virgin olive oil in Tuscany. We will talk about the life of olive trees, the different varieties of olives, the harvesting and the production process, the best methods for preservation, the uses in the cuisine and much more.
Olive oil comparative blind test
We will organize a comparative olive oil tasting session in the dining room or on the terrace of your villa.
You will be able to recognize the differences between a quality olive oil made with love and care and a commercial one, marketed as a mass product with little care for quality. Two aromatic olive oils will be tasted too, with special flavors of lemon, chili pepper, garlic or orange. Your will learn about how they are made and what they match best.
Some bruschettas are included in the experience, prepared by the olive oil expert in your kitchen. Your kitchen will be left tidy before the end of the experience.
Full meal formula
You can opt for our full meal option, in case you want to associate our olive oil experience to lunch or dinner. Our olive oil expert coming to your villa will be accompanied by a local a chef. The chef will bring all ingredients and tools and will use your kitchen to prepare some traditional dishes, in which extra virgin olive oil is one of the most important ingredients. While the chef is preparing the meal in the kitchen, our expert olive oil story-teller will arrange a tasting experience with a blind test (as described above), revealing all best features of good extra virgin olive oils. While thoroughly talking about the best use of EVOO in the cuisine, the expert will have many chances to answer any of your questions on the theme. Some local wine is included to make the experience complete. Before leaving, the olive oil expert and the chef will tidy up and clean your kitchen.Vegetarian or vegan options available on request.
You will learn how to use the olive oil in the right way in the preparation of food, so much that you will feel an olive oil snob!
IMPORTANT: THIS IS WHAT WE KINDLY ASK YOU TO DO (in villa cooking classes and chef services)
- Please, make sure the owners/managers of the villa allow us to access the villa and the kitchen. Sometimes they do not welcome external cooks in their villa.
• Please, make sure that we can access the villa at the time agreed, and/or at the time expressed in the confirmation voucher. Extra time spent waiting for someone to open the villa will be charged as extra fee.
• Please, leave the kitchen clean and free from your personal belongings such as phones, sunglasses etc. So that the cooks can immediately start cooking, without losing precious time in cleaning or tidying up the kitchen. Extra time spent to clean the kitchen before the service starts, will be charged as extra
• Please, make sure the kitchen is equipped with a suitable number of tableware for the number of people in your party.
• Please, be in time at the table sticking to the starting time indicated at the moment of booking and/or in the confirmation voucher. Delay will be charged as extra.
• Please, be informed that no long breaks among the dishes served are foreseen. For a regular service e consider a 5-8 minute time from the end of one course to the serving of the next one. Delay will be charged as extra.
• If you have small kids and you want them to eat before you, this will delay the service of about 1 hour (service, cleaning, etc), so this extra hour will be charged as extra
• If there are any food restrictions or allergies in your party, please share them with us at the moment of booking. It is important to know it in advance to assure everybody can eat without any risks or problems. Last minute changes are not possible
• If you are interested in having a long dinner with speeches, singing and dancing, please inform us from the beginning and we will personalize the offer with a suitable quotation, as the service hours for the staff will be longer.
• The extra charge for the delays as described above is 10 Euro/half an hour (20 Euro/hour) for each member of the staff present at the service
What you taste
This is a list of specialties that you are likely to sample during this experience. Please, note that these are just some examples of what can be prepared. Our booking staff will send you detailed information.
For this service you will meet some of the Tuscan friends involved in your wine tasting experience. Please, see below which friends you are likely to encounter.
Hello everybody! My name is Davide, the youngest one in the team of Arianna & Friends. I joined the company in 2022, when my aunt Ester, one of the chefs in the team, introduced me to Arianna & Massimo. I am a wonderful talker and I really enjoy entertaining our guests during cooking classes and foodie tours. I also deal with bookings related to Teatro del Silenzio. Being from Lajatico, I am really happy to arrange holidays to people who will visit my hometown.
I am a very ironic person who likes making life enjoyable, something that my colleagues really appreciate on a daily base. I really hope I can meet many people from all over the world thanks to my job. Ciao ciao! 
Buongiorno a tutti! My name is Anna from San Miniato, a historical town in Tuscany famous also for its delicious white truffles. I met Arianna and Massimo in the early 2000s, when we were all working at a local agriturismo: I was at the reception while they were starting their career as event organizers and food tour operators. As their company was expanding we had several occasions for cooperating until I finally joined the team more stably in 2022. I now deal with accountancy and coordination of all the chefs for the many services a day that we arrange. I spend most of my free time at sea as I now live in Livorno, a beautiful harbor town. 
Ciao, I'm Ester, one of the cooks of Arianna & Friends'. I've been working with them since the beginning of their adventure in 2007.
I love cooking together with people from all over the world, especailly with young kids.
What I prefer to cook is pasta dishes, pizza and desserts, like for example the stunning cake I made to celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary.
I live, like Davide (my nephew), in the little village of Lajatico, birthplace of Andrea Bocelli and from my home I can hear his voice and see something when Teatro del Silenzio takes place in July.
I live in a farm and I have chickens, rabbits, a large vegetable garden. I make my own olive oil and wine together with my family.
I hope to be able to cook with many of you in the years to come and teach you a lot of our typical Tuscan food. 
Ciao, I'm Silvia, one of the youngest cooks at Arianna & Friends'. Cooking is my real passion and I like to prepare any traditional dish both for visitors and for my family. I also love baking pizza as well as trying innovative food and special contemporary techniques, especially in my kitchen at home. When I started working for this company in 2018, I met an incredible team of collaborators and with them I finally feel joy and serenity in what I do. Any time I work as a cook I can breath freedom and this makes me happy.
As I really love the sea, in my free time I like being at the beach. I have a passion for travelling and being in the company of my friends. I could define myself as a "free spirit" with a big attraction to ... hats !!!
Looking forward to meet you all! 
Mi chiamo Carlo, the only "boy" among the chefs of Arianna & Friends. I am a cousin of Lorena, who has worked with the company for long now and who introduced me to them back in 2022. I live in Pontedera, home of Vespa, and I have been cooking all my life, since preparing delicious food has always been my great passion. In my working age I was an operator for an insurance company, so I know plenty of local people and I am very friendly and talkative. I then retired and decided to dedicate myself to the things I like the most: cooking and joining friends. I have limited Enlish but miraculously all our guests can easily understand me through my body language and face expressions. I will be waiting for you for great barbecue dinners and traditional dishes of all kinds! 
Good morning everyone! I'm the cook Lorena. I started working with Arianna & Friends a few years ago when I retired, because someone set me up. You must know that Arianna is a good friend of my daughter Martina and they had this brilliant idea of asking me to cook for Arianna's tourists. Well, I coulnd't say no! Arianna tried my food for the first time when she was still at school with my daughter and she knows that I can cook very well!! ahahah
The food I prepare is purely Tuscan: I don't use and butter or lard, but just EV olive oil, from Tuscany of course. People say my meat ragu is excellent, but also my Cacciucco - Livornese style fish soup - is simply fantastic. I make preserves and the best lasagne ever!
I live in Pontedera, the town of the vespa. I'm in my early 70s and last year I got married for the second time! I like music from 40s 50s and 60s like Glenn Miller, King Cole, Frank Sinatra etc. etc.
I cannot speak English, even if I tried to attend some English classes in these last few years... I ended up chatting about food with the other students! But no problem, when I'm with some guests in their holiday home preparing a meal, I always have my little dictionary with me that helps a lot in the conversation.
I look forward meeting you all again soon! 
Hi everybody, ciao a tutti. I am Elisabetta and I am the youngest one among the chefs of Arianna & Friends. I have been working with the company for several years, initially just as a sous-chef and eventually as a proper chef. I have accumulated many years of experience while learning from all my other colleague chefs, but I also added my personal taste and knowledge to the whole. I am really happy to be part of this team and to be able to meet people from all over the world. In my free time I enjoy the company of my lovely puppy for long walks or just hanging around for shopping. Ciao a presto! 
Eccomi! My name is Margherita, mother of 2, who lives in Santa Croce sull'Arno. I was born and raised in the fantastic wine region of Fiano, Greco and Taurasi, namely some the best wines from the South of Italy. I have been living in Tuscany for decades and I have always cooked both for my families and for several restaurants. My very mild and sweet personality is able to create a very relaxed working ambience and my guests really appreciate this atmosphere. I am a curious person who likes learning and I am ready to share my knowledge with all visitors who take on a cooking class or a chef service. Grazie a tutti! 
Hi everybody! I am Paola, a talented cook who is never tired. I have been cooking all my life both privately and in the kitchens of a series of restaurants in the area I live in, near the central town of Empoli. I joined Arianna & Friends in early 2022 as the whole world was recovering from the difficult years of the pandemic and as the company was quickly restarting its operativity. I was very glad that I could join such a dynamic and friendly team and share with them all my knowledge and passion. I deal with cooking classes and chef services in all the region together with the various story-tellers and chef assistants who participate in the service. In my free time I enjoy cycling in the spectacular Tuscan hills that surround my home town. I can't wait to cook for you an unforgettable meal! 
Marco is a very fascinating middle-aged man with plenty of interests and a great knowledge on botanics and farming. He has been cooperating with Arianna & Friends as a sous-chef in cooking classes and chef services. A great professionalism and care for the quality of service make him one of the most beloved members of all the team. 
Maria Grazia, in our team called MG, is a very positive thinking lady who works as a sous-chefs at Arianna & Friends, when she is not busy helping children get born. In fact she is also a professional ostetrician! A nice irony in her character, combined with an intrinsic calm when working, create
an incredible effect during the services provided. 
The total rate for this service varies according to the number of people in your party and
the distance of your villa from our premises in Terricciola (Pisa area).
Check rates in the table below.
OLIVE OIL WORKSHOP at your villa WITH SNACKS (2 hours)– Rates 2024 – |
|
|---|---|
NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN YOUR PARTY |
TOTAL RATE |
| 2 persons | € 360 |
| 3 persons | € 390 |
| 4 persons | € 420 |
| 5 persons | € 450 |
| 6 persons | € 480 |
| 7 persons | € 510 |
| 8 persons | € 540 |
| Extra adult | € 30 |
| Extra child or teen | € 10 |
VILLA LOCATION
TRAVEL COSTS (per party, not per person):
No travel fee due if your villa is located within 25 minute-drive from our office in Terricciola, to locations such as Palaia, Lari, Peccioli, Terricciola, Chianni, Pontedera, Molino d’Era etc.
€ 60 for a 30-45-minute drive to locations such as Volterra, Montaione, San Miniato, Fucecchio, Gambassi, Castelfalfi, Pisa, Fauglia, Buti, Vicopisano
€ 110 for a 50-70-minute drive to locations such as Vinci, Lucca center, Livorno, Rosignano, San Casciano V Pesa, Viareggio, Montespertoli, San Gimignano, Colle V Elsa
€ 160 for a 75-90-minute drive to locations such as Lucca northern area, some Chianti vilages, Siena, Follonica, Fiesole, Florence, Sesto Fiorentino
For distances over 90-minute drive, such as remote Chianti villages, Arezzo area, southern part of the coast, please ask for an estimate. The staff will need to overnight there, so extra fee is required.
OLIVE OIL WORKSHOP at your villa WITH FULL MEAL (3 HOURS)– Rates 2024 – |
|
|---|---|
NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN YOUR PARTY |
TOTAL RATE |
| 2 persons | € 540 |
| 3 persons | € 590 |
| 4 persons | € 640 |
| 5 persons | € 690 |
| 6 persons | € 740 |
| 7 persons | € 790 |
| 8 persons | € 840 |
| Extra adult | € 50 |
| Extra child or teen | € 25 |
VILLA LOCATION
TRAVEL COSTS (per party, not per person):
No travel fee due if your villa is located within 25 minute-drive from our office in Terricciola, to locations such as Palaia, Lari, Peccioli, Terricciola, Chianni, Pontedera, Molino d’Era etc.
€ 60 for a 30-45-minute drive to locations such as Volterra, Montaione, San Miniato, Fucecchio, Gambassi, Castelfalfi, Pisa, Fauglia, Buti, Vicopisano
€ 110 for a 50-70-minute drive to locations such as Vinci, Lucca center, Livorno, Rosignano, San Casciano V Pesa, Viareggio, Montespertoli, San Gimignano, Colle V Elsa
€ 160 for a 75-90-minute drive to locations such as Lucca northern area, some Chianti vilages, Siena, Follonica, Fiesole, Florence, Sesto Fiorentino
For distances over 90-minute drive, such as remote Chianti villages, Arezzo area, southern part of the coast, please ask for an estimate. The staff will need to overnight there, so extra fee is required.
Rates include
- A private English speaking olive oil tour guide and olive oil expert. Also available in French, Spanish, German and Russian
- Snacks or full meal prepared on the spot
- Wine (only in the full formula)
- Extra virgin olive oil and condiment oils
- Setting of the table and presentation of extra virgin olive oils
- Final cleaning of the kitchen
- Tax
Rates do NOT include
- Extra courses beside the snacks
- Extra courses beside the full meal
- Extra wine
This service is delivered to your villa in any location in Tuscany within 90 minutes driving from our premises in Terricciola, Pisa area. For destinations located between 30 and 90 minutes from our premises a surcharge applies, depending on distance and cost of transportation for our staff. See more details in the rate table.
MEET-UP LOCATION:
Our olive oil expert meets you directly at your villa at an agreed meeting time. Please, provide us with full details on the location of your accommodation.
TYPE OF SERVICE:
Our staff prepares some bruschettas or little snacks like focaccia with cold meats and cheeses. In the full formula, a whole meal is prepared. All foods are local and all recipes are traditional. We prefer to use seasonal ingredients only but we are happy to accommodate all requests.
DURATION OF SERVICE:
This program takes 2 or 3 hours according to the option you choose.
AVAILABILITY:
Available all the year through from Monday through Saturday.
LANGUAGE:
The service is provided in English. Spanish, German and Russian available upon request with no surcharge.
FOOD RESTRICTIONS:
The foods served during this activity might contain gluten, lactose, nuts and alcohol. If you have any food restriction, please inform our booking staff during the booking phase.
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