Petar Rikato

An Istrian olive grower and agricultural engineer from Medulin with more than twenty years of experience, runs the Rikato Petar family farm and has developed his own brand of premium extra virgin olive oils, Rikato Olive Oil. His olive groves, comprising around 2,000 trees, are located in southern Istria, while his particular professional passion is olive tree pruning. In this discipline, he has achieved remarkable success, winning the Croatian National Olive Pruning Championship -  Polyconic Vase Training System - in 2018, 2019, and 2022. Petar’s professional philosophy brings together two complementary worlds: the precision of an agronomist who understands the needs of every tree and the practical experience of an olive grower. His wife, Matea, is actively involved in the business, and together they have created a brand that combines contemporary design and premium quality with a deeply personal family story. For the Rikatos, exceptional olive oil is born in the grove itself. Each olive variety is harvested at the precise moment when its aroma and composition reach their peak, and the fruit is processed within 24 hours of picking. Only mechanical methods and cold extraction are used, preserving the olives’ freshness, nutritional value, and authentic aromatic character.

The Rikato collection features five carefully crafted blends of extra virgin olive oil, designed to offer a spectrum of intensities and flavour profiles - from delicate and elegant oils to harmonious medium - bodied blends and bold, expressive styles. This versatility makes them equally suited to everyday home cooking and the demands of fine dining. The quality of Rikato oils has also been recognised by experts. At the 28th International Meeting of Olive Growers and Olive Oil Producers – Noćnjak 2026, held in Dubrovnik, Rikato’s blended extra virgin olive oil was awarded the Grand Gold Medal.

As Petar likes to say, Rikato is much more than a name on a label. It is the natural continuation of his professional journey and family life. For Petar, Matea, and their two sons, the olive grove is at once a workplace, a family home, and the source of a product through which they share their own story of Istria, its land, and the olive tree.