It started with a bottle of olive oil, and ended with a hazelnut spread.
Yianna Velos is the founder of Golden Groves, a certified organic extra virgin olive oil made from her family's groves on the Mani Peninsula in southern Greece. She is also, by her own admission, a very committed Pana Organic customer. She has eaten our chocolate every day since 2020.
Welcome to Made With, our series of conversations with the people whose craft finds its way into ours. Yianna is our first guest, and the reason is simple: she is the other half of the Golden Groves x Pana Organic Smooth Hazelnut Chocolate Spread, our limited-edition collaboration launching this week.
We sat down with Yianna to hear how a thank-you gift turned into a jar.
Who are you, and what does Golden Groves make?
I'm Yianna Velos, the founder of Golden Groves. Golden Groves produces certified organic extra virgin olive oil, made from my family's groves in Greece. People may have seen us on Instagram, in their local grocer or in the kitchen of their favourite chef!
How did you and Pana meet?
I have been eating Pana Organic chocolate every day since 2020. When my podcast producers told me they were interviewing Pana, I asked them to gift him a bottle of Golden Groves and express my gratitude for creating my favourite chocolate. Pana was gracious enough to message Golden Groves and thank me for the oil.
Was there a moment you thought, we're going to make something together?
As soon as Pana messaged me thank you, I boldly asked him to create something together. It has been something I always dreamed of creating, because what combination is better than olive oil and chocolate?
What did you think when the idea of an olive oil hazelnut spread came up?
I was so excited! Before starting Golden Groves, I was living in Milan and had my fair share of chocolate hazelnut spreads, particularly in gelato cones. The concept of this spread was so nostalgic for me!
What was it actually like putting it together?
Pana already has a chocolate hazelnut spread that I loved! The key question was how Golden Groves olive oil would combine with the other ingredients. After visiting the Pana chocolate factory and mixing the ingredients, the quality control lead monitored whether the oil would separate. Luckily there was no separating. He just needed to adjust the ingredients in the spread to create a balanced and deliciously addictive flavour profile. It's the perfect combination of sweet, rich and salty!
What did Pana bring that you couldn't have done on your own?
Everything, from the recipe to the sourcing of ingredients and the chocolate factory. I couldn't have done this without Pana!
"It's the perfect combination of sweet, rich and salty!"
What did olive oil mean in your house growing up?
Olive oil was always a staple in my family's home. Both of my parents migrated to Australia from Greece, and they could never find an olive oil here that compared to the quality they had grown up harvesting themselves. So for as long as I can remember, my family would import our own olive oil from our groves in Greece for our private consumption.
Some of my fondest childhood memories are going to my grandmother's (Yiayia's) house and asking for bread with olive oil. It was such a simple thing, but olive oil was always poured generously and at the heart of every meal. Growing up, I loved it, but I never really understood how unique it was to have our own family reserve.
It wasn't until I moved to Milan and had to buy my own olive oil for the first time that I realised just how special ours was. I remember tasting what I had bought and thinking, "This tastes nothing like the olive oil at home." That was the moment I understood that my family's olive oil was in a league of its own.
Does being Greek shape how you think about food?
Definitely. Growing up, my parents took a lot of pride in produce. They grew a lot of our vegetables and herbs, and they imported olive oil from our groves in Greece. They would take me to the Queen Victoria Market and teach me that it's important to know who is growing your food and what to look for when selecting produce. This is a way of eating that was passed on from their parents, who were farmers and owned the only supermarket in their 50-person village in Greece.
Cooking in Greek culture is how we connect, and it is an act of expressing love. My dad is a very hard worker and would often leave the house before the sun rose, but he always made sure he was home for dinner so we could eat and connect together as a family.
Now that it exists, how do you eat it?
I can't believe I'm admitting this, but I am so addicted to the spread, I eat it by the spoon. I love having it on a buckwheat cake, as a chocolate filling on pumpkin seed cookies, and coating roasted almonds. I add it to everything, which may be why I've already gone through three jars!
What does the oil do to the spread that nothing else would?
The oil adds a richness and smoothness to the spread that feels decadent.
Setting the spread aside, what's your favourite Pana Organic product?
This is like asking me for my favourite child! If I had to choose, it would either be the Tasmanian Sea Salt chocolate block or the dark baking chocolate block, as I'm addicted to dark chocolate.
What are you most proud of?
There are two things. The first is the quality of ingredients. When I started Golden Groves, I vowed to never compromise on my values. I see my community as an extension of my family, so if it's not good enough for my family, it's not good enough for my customer.
The second is being able to work with the Pana Organic team, who are so kind, genuine and values led. I care about the people I work with just as much as the product itself, so I am honoured to be partnering with a brand I consume every day and have gotten so many people onto!
Where can people find Golden Groves x Pana Organic Hazelnut Spread?
People can purchase the spread directly from the Pana Organic and Golden Groves websites.
When we asked, Yianna had already got through three jars, and showed no signs of slowing down.
Golden Groves: @goldengrovesco Pana Organic: @pana_organic
The Golden Groves x Pana Organic Smooth Hazelnut Chocolate Spread is a limited edition, available here and goldengrovesco.com