Luca’s Wild Greek Oregano a taste fest for local pizza makers
Wild Oregano from the rugged mountains of Greece is now readily available for pizza makers, in particular, from an artisan company in Newtownards that specialises in authentic Mediterranean foods which have won UK Great Taste and Irish National Food awards.
The oregano, a plant that’s found in mountainous regions of the Mediterranean, is the latest artisan product from PEPPUP Sauces, a business owned and run by husband and wife team Luca and Liz Montorio, that’s developed a range of tasty Italian products include ketchup, pickles, roasted peppers, pasta, pizza sauces and Bolognese sauces. The company is a Food NI member.
Most of the company’s 20-strong range of Italian influenced products are gluten and fat free, low in salt and sugar, and suitable for vegans.
Luca, who’s originally from Turin, one of Italy’s food hubs, says the oregano launch has been partly influenced by the growth in pizzas here from local producers and the interest of home cooks, many using their own pizza ovens.
“More people than ever before are turning to a traditional Italianpizzas as a tasty meal or snack. Sales of our pasta and pizza sauces are also benefiting from this fast developing trend. There’s also been a significant expansion in pizza providers of the quality and innovation,” he adds. Oegano can also be sprinkled on meats and salads.
Harvested fresh for PEPPUP, by a longstanding business contact in Greece, the plant is said to have been created by the goddess Aphrodite in her garden on Mount Olympus as “a symbol of happiness and joy”.
The Oregano is packaged in sealed bags at source and then shipped quickly to PEPPUP in Northern Ireland, ensuring freshness and intense aroma.
An experienced home cook and qualified nutritionist, Luca develops the unique recipes which are based on his family background.
The couple set up PEPPUP in 2014 and began trading the following year from the family home in Portaferry. It is now baed in nearby Newtownards.
