Our Producers

Our Producers

Every product has a face.

We don't work with catalogs. We visit producers, taste, and ask difficult questions. Only when we are convinced do we bring a product into our store.

This means our selection is small. And that we put our reputation on everything we sell.

The authentic roots of Puglia, told by those who live the land every day.

Why choose us?

At Bottega Imperiale, we don’t just sell Apulian food products. We tell real stories; we share our selections, the craftsmanship, the 100% Apulian origin, and our quality control. We build bridges between those who guard ancient knowledge and those who wish to rediscover it on their own tables.

Every producer we choose is the result of a journey taken on foot—sometimes in the middle of olive groves, sometimes in the quiet masserie of Salento, among the trulli of the Itria Valley, or along the sun-drenched Murge. Before bringing a product into our boxes of Apulian excellence, we taste it, we live it, and we get to know the person who created it.

🤝 How we choose our producers

There are no big names in our catalog. You won’t find industrial brands or products standardized for mass retail.

What you find at Bottega Imperiale are small Apulian producers—often family-run—who have chosen to resist the logic of volume and maximum yield, preferring a quiet quality that needs no advertising because it speaks for itself.

Our selection criteria are simple but absolute:

  • 🌱 Short supply chain and territory: the product must be born, raised, and processed in Puglia
  • 🧑🌾 Artisanal production: no industrial processes that erase the product's identity
  • 📖 Traditional recipes and methods: preference for techniques passed down through generations
  • 💚 Respect for the land: attention to sustainable practices, soil health, and biodiversity
  • 🫂 Direct human relationship: we personally know every producer we collaborate with

🌾 Nearly forgotten flavors deserve to be rediscovered

Puglia is a generous and ancient land. In its fields grow olive cultivars that existed back in the time of the Messapians. In the cellars of old farmers, you can still find jars of preserves made just like Grandma used to make, caponatas that smell of summer, tomatoes sun-dried in August, and stone-ground ancient grain flours.

These are the products we seek. The ones that mass retailers don't want because they have an irregular shape, a non-uniform color, or an unpredictable yield. The ones that still taste like something.

Typical Apulian products such as:

  • 🫙 Extra virgin olive oil from native cultivars (Ogliarola, Cellina di Nardò, Coratina)
  • 🧀 Artisanal cheeses made from raw milk of local breeds
  • 🍅 Preserves and sauces prepared using traditional methods, with no preservatives
  • 🌾 Ancient flours and legumes such as Senatore Cappelli wheat, grass peas, and white broad beans from Salento
  • 🍷 Natural wines from native Apulian grape varieties (Negroamaro, Primitivo, Susumaniello)
  • 🐟 Seafood products processed according to Salento coastal traditions

📍 One territory, many souls

Our research extends throughout the entire region, from Capitanata to Terra di Bari, from the Itria Valley to the heart of Salento. Every area has its own character, its own scents, its seasonal delights, and its excellences.

We collaborate with producers from the provinces of Lecce, Brindisi, Taranto, Bari, and Foggia—because the gastronomic biodiversity of Puglia is too rich to be reduced to just one corner of the land.

💌 Are you an Apulian producer?

Are you a small artisanal producer and want to share your work with those who truly appreciate it? Write to us. We are always looking for new, authentic stories to tell and extraordinary products to include in our boxes.

Every collaboration begins with a meeting, a tasting, and a handshake.

👉 Contact us to become one of our producers →

Alessandro Cuna

Alessandro Cuna is a beekeeper in Corigliano d'Otranto, in the heart of Salento. He is a member of the Italian Beekeepers Federation (FAI).
He produces three raw honeys: wildflower, citrus, and thyme. No processing that alters what the bees have already done well.
In winter, when nectar is scarce, he sows flowering plants specifically for his bees. A gesture not everyone makes.
He owns horses. In his spare time, he cooks like a true chef.
The bees remain his main story. The raw honey, the proof.

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macelleria subappennino monri dauni mimmo cordisco bottega carni formaggi

Mimmo

Mimmo Cordisco, a butcher for 4 generations, processes meat in the Daunian Sub-Apennine. All cuts, all species: foal, lamb, beef, pork.
He knows every cut like few others. His capocollo, with netted casing and distinct marbling, rests for 4-6 months before arriving vacuum-packed on your table.
But the capocollo is just a starting point. Behind it is a butcher who handles meat in its entirety, not just an isolated specialty.
A complete craft, in an era that pushes toward shortcuts and extreme specialization.

Cold cuts and meats

Mario Iaculli

For over fifty years, his family has been producing oil in the heart of the Tavoliere. Today, Mario runs the mill alongside his brother and wife, overseeing production and sales. His extra virgin olive oil is cold-pressed. Alongside the oil, he prepares preserves using traditional recipes, from his grandmother's artichokes grown on his land to country-style tassel hyacinths, and even tuna-stuffed chili peppers. Simple and genuine flavors, made just like they used to be.

Mario Roca

Mario Roca, a baker for three generations. He is dedicated to producing scaldatelli, egg taralli, pizza, focaccia, cookies, and other small baked goods. He uses only 100% Apulian Italian wheat flour.

Baked Goods