When I created Oliveology 15 years ago, it was a way for me to connect with Greece, with the land and its people. Over the years my need for connection became greater and evolved. It is a need to connect to the world around me, a need for belonging amongst others who share the same values, a need to find a home in London, a need to not forget my Greek home.
These past years have been about connection and belonging, about community and togetherness. Food is at the epicentre of this. Food doesn’t only provide nourishment to our bodies, but also nourishes good relationships. It is vitally important for our physical and mental health but also, preparing and sharing food becomes the way to show love, to connect with family, friends and ourselves, which is what ultimately matters the most. Food is also what connects us with our team and our customers, as we grow and become a vibrant, caring community that shares stories, recipes, memories, nostalgia, always being compassionate with each other, always being there for each other.
If I’ve learned anything over the last 15 years is that food can always bring people together, in such unusual ways, and that is why I feel that we are in the right place, that our work in Oliveology has meaning.
As the years go by, I realise more and more that this is what brings my team together, this is why you, our customers are coming back to our shops, to our website: because we are all part of a community who shares the same ideas, values and hopes about food, as we all try to stir our lives towards a healthier path, and a better (food) world.
Oliveology’s journey is one of mindfulness, movement and of an evolving mindset, surrounded with good intentions and lifestyle changes. We make sure to invest in our relations and in our wellbeing, and this includes our relationship with food. We select quality ingredients, that nourish our body and mind. Fuelling our bodies has a significant impact on how we feel, how we experience life and its challenges. Real food, made from wholesome ingredients and cooked with care makes us feel happier, stronger and more resilient, moving with a purpose. These small changes in our daily lives also have an impact in our food systems, as we care and protect our planet.
This became all more clear to me when my own journey in motherhood began. My family and I and all of us at Oliveology imagine a world in which children are involved in cooking from a very young age, at school and at home, and families are empowered to prepare healthy meals with simple, fresh and wholesome ingredients. We envision proper health education from a young age, our children learning about the importance of nutrition, sleep, exercise and community; how to recognise the ingredients that are synthetic, harmful and created purely for profit; how to appreciate real food. Giving young people the tools they need to create a healthy lifestyle and happier lives is what’s needed to hope for a brighter future for us all. Oliveology hopes to be an inspiration for natural living and health, which honours our planet and the offerings of nature respectfully, sustainably, harmoniously, and lovingly.
As we embark on Oliveology’s 15th year our hopes and values for a changing world accompany me in my personal journey. I hope to connect more with you all, to feel closer to nature, to the sounds of the sea and to the smells of the soil, to touch the land and taste its fruits, vegetables, grains, pulses, honey, olive oil. Real food doesn’t have ingredients, it is the ingredients, and I know that all of us share this philosophy.
Thank you for all these meaningful connections we’ve had over the years, and here’s to many more to come.
Marianna and the Oliveology team.
