How It All Began

In 1941, Corleone Gold’s founder, Pietro Sorisi, was born in a humble stone house in the hills surrounding Corleone, Sicily.

During difficult times, Pietro emigrated with his family to Bath, England, as a young boy, where they built new lives and raised families of their own. Some local readers may remember Pietro as the proprietor of Pietro Hair Fashions in Milsom Street.

More than seventy years later, in 2024, Pietro returned to Corleone for the first time since leaving as a child. Expecting to find the land he and his younger brother, Antonino, had painstakingly cleared by hand long abandoned and overgrown, he was astonished to discover flourishing olive groves stretching across the very ground they had worked as children.

Gradually, Pietro learned how family members who remained in Sicily had quietly spent generations producing exceptional olive oil, shared only among friends, neighbours and local villagers. Inspired by this discovery, Pietro joined forces with his sister Elvira and son Mark to share a small part of Sicily with the UK for the very first time.

Aged 84, Pietro’s unexpected return visit became the beginning of a new story. More than seven decades after leaving, he found himself helping to establish a new family business in Bath, bringing together his birthplace and the city he has called home since the age of fourteen.

Crafted With Care

Perched high in the hills surrounding Corleone, the olive groves continue to be cultivated using time-honoured methods.

Guided by nature rather than fixed dates, the harvest begins only when the olives reach optimum ripeness. Carefully hand-picked, traditionally cold-pressed and bottled within just 8 hours, Corleone Gold reflects generations of knowledge, gentle handling and the patient, unhurried rhythm of nature-led harvesting.

The result is an olive oil that captures not only the unique character of the Sicilian landscape, but also the patience, craftsmanship and quiet dedication that have defined the family’s way of working for generations.

Recognition and Beginnings in the UK

Back in the UK, with just six small bottles in hand, Corleone Gold was entered into the Great Taste Awards – its first and only competition to date.

When the results were announced, the family were overjoyed to discover that the judges had praised the oil’s beautifully balanced character, elegant freshness and distinctive flavour profile.

For a small family endeavour only recently introduced beyond Sicily, this came as a source of enormous delight, encouragement and excitement for everyone involved.

For generations, Corleone Gold had remained a little-known treasure, enjoyed only by family, friends and local villagers. Almost overnight, it was being recognised and celebrated on the international stage.

A Shared Love of Sicily

Around the same time, and by a remarkable twist of fate, the much-loved food writer Diane Seed returned to the UK after more than forty years living in Italy.

Former spokesperson for the International Olive Oil Council and author of the renowned bestseller The Top 100 Italian Dishes, Diane had settled in Bath at almost exactly the same time as Corleone Gold’s UK debut.

After tasting Corleone Gold – becoming the first person outside Sicily ever to do so – Diane immediately recognised both the quality of the olive oil and the family’s passion for sharing something genuinely special.

Her warmth, encouragement and deep understanding of Italian food and culture left a lasting impression on everyone involved.

The family were later delighted when Diane volunteered specially created stories and recipes to accompany Corleone Gold, sharing her reflections on the land, people and traditions of the island she knows so well.

Certified Excellence – and Looking Ahead

Corleone Gold is fully organic certified (IT-BIO-014 Agricoltura), with PDO and PGI certification still in progress (as of July 2026).

Corleone Gold continues to be created with the same traditional methods, meticulous care and uncompromising standards that have defined the family’s approach since long before Corleone Gold was ever introduced beyond Sicily.

Guided entirely by the rhythms of nature, and by the painstaking process behind every drop, Corleone Gold is produced in exceptionally small artisan batches – with availability naturally limited.

Those lovingly tending the groves in Sicily take enormous pride in their life’s work, eagerly awaiting feedback on each new harvest – and now, for the very first time in history – from the UK.

For the family behind Corleone Gold, seeing their once little-known village olive oil now enjoyed beyond Corleone brings enormous fulfilment and excitement, along with heartfelt thanks to everyone who supports the journey.

What began as a childhood memory has become a bridge between Corleone and Bath, connecting generations through one family’s enduring bond with both the land of their origins and the city they call home.

And in every bottle, that story continues.