Good to know
Frequently asked questions
What to know about Gourmethica, our producers and our products.
What is Gourmethica?
Gourmethica is an Italian fine-food grocer based in Switzerland, active since 2013. We select Italian specialities — extra virgin olive oils, pasta, tomato sauces, panettoni, preserves — from small producers for whom taste quality and social impact go hand in hand. We deliver throughout Switzerland.
Why does Gourmethica talk about “ethical” products?
At Gourmethica, “ethical” is not an argument added afterwards: each product is chosen first for its taste, then because it is made under conditions that mean something. This includes pasta grown on land confiscated from the mafia, panettoni produced in a prison reintegration workshop, and Sicilian preserves from certified-organic social cooperatives. Quality comes first; meaning comes with it.
Who is Libera Terra?
Libera Terra is a network of Italian social cooperatives that farm land confiscated from criminal organisations by the Italian justice system — around Corleone and in the Valle del Belice, across Sicily, Calabria and Apulia. Over 975 hectares of organic farming they produce bronze-extruded pasta, passata and olive oils; at least a third of employees are people excluded from conventional employment. Libera Terra is associated with the Libera network, which brings together more than 1,600 associations for legality in Italy.
Who is Pasticceria Giotto?
Pasticceria Giotto is an Italian patisserie located inside the Due Palazzi prison in Padua. Since 2005, the Work Crossing cooperative has trained inmates in the pastry trade there, supervised by five professional master chefs. Its panettoni, made with a 72-hour natural rise, have ranked in the Gambero Rosso national Top 10 for more than ten years and have been praised by the New York Times. Among former participants, the recidivism rate is around 5%, compared with 75% nationally.
Who is La Madre Terra?
La Madre Terra is an Italian producer of Umbrian extra virgin olive oil, tomato sauces, pestos and preserves, all ICEA-certified organic. Founded in the 1980s within the La Fraternità social cooperative in Rimini (Emilia-Romagna), its La Pietra Scartata workshop is also a socio-occupational centre that employs people in vulnerable situations. The products are made in small batches, cold-pressed, with no preservatives.
Who is Cotti in Fragranza?
Cotti in Fragranza is a Sicilian bakery workshop founded in 2016 inside the Malaspina youth detention centre in Palermo, run by the Rigenerazioni cooperative. Young inmates learn a real baker’s trade there and shape by hand the Picciottelli line — grissini, crackers, citrus frollini and artisanal chocolates — with zero-kilometre Sicilian ingredients and no artificial flavourings.
What sets a good extra virgin olive oil apart?
A quality extra virgin olive oil is cold-pressed, from olives harvested at perfect ripeness. On the palate it opens with a fruity roundness and then leaves a slight bitterness — or a peppery kick — on the finish: the sign of healthy, freshly pressed olives. It keeps away from light and heat, and is ideally used within the year. La Madre Terra’s Umbrian oil, ICEA-certified organic, is a good example.
Do you deliver throughout Switzerland?
Yes. Gourmethica delivers its products throughout Switzerland. Details on delivery times and costs are on the Delivery page.