EGRO stands for Experiential Grocery and started as a pop-up store in Islington Square in 2020, before landing a permanent spot in the buzzing Camden Passage just 4 months ago. The small shop has found its spot amongst the plethora of amazing food shops in the same little alleyway but hides a wealth of quality Italian products you can’t find anywhere else in the capital. 

What makes the store’s product selection so special ultimately comes down to the owners. Selena and Alessandro are both Italian natives, from Rome and Milan respectively and have both worked within the Italian food scene for several years.

Prior to arriving in London in late 2019, the pair found small to medium Italian food producers, vetted the quality of their offering with their team of experts and then helped promote them to an international market. They have taken that same approach today with EGRO, offering the best Italian products they can discover and sharing them with their London clientele. 

Their primary expertise lies in Extra Virgin Olive Oils. Their goal is to help people see the subtleties of EVOO and treat it like we do wine. Indeed there is much to understand about olive oils, from olive varieties to regional differences, aromas, strengths and applications. 

We trialled a few, varying in strength and flavour profile and were amazed at the complex and surprising flavours we could smell and taste. Punchy, peppery notes you may have come to expect from high-quality olive oils were familiar and heady. Freshly cut grass and even banana were more surprising however and expertly identified by Selena.

We were fortunate enough to discuss these amazing olive oils with EGRO’s passionate founders, though not everyone has that time - a simple fact Selena and Alessandro have addressed with tailored QR codes that accompany the olive oils and indeed many of the products they sell. Upon scanning, detailed information about the products is at your fingertips ready to be explored at your leisure. A considerate touch that underpins the true essence of EGRO. 

The owners have seen a natural expansion of their offering into food products too and have now around 1000 different products in their EGRO shop. This ranges from the classic pastas, tomato sauces, grissinis, to the more specific turnip veloute from Puglia, pistachio cream from Sicily, chocolate made in Tuscany, and much much more. The underlying thread behind each and every single one of these products is the fervent passion Selena and Allessandro have for the unique and superior quality of the ingredients and the deep knowledge about each producer and their history. 

So much so that the physical shop expands into the digital space onto a platform where one can read and listen about the products’ history, origin and usage. They also always seem to have exciting experiences going on in their shop such as wine tasting, producer meets and of course, olive oil tasting courses too. The best way to know about those is through their Instagram account. 

To visit EGRO is much much more than a simple shop but truly an immersive experience you’ll want to repeat.