Tou Patera means “father’s” in Greek, and in this case the name is quite literal. The small olive-oil brand is an homage to a father’s love of the land, and to a family that continues to return to the same groves worked by generations before them. Founded by Thomas Mastorakos in 2025 and run together with his cousin Stratis Rigakos, Tou Patera produces its olive oil on the family estate in Xerokampi and Paleochori, just outside Sparta, among the foothills of Mount Taygetos. Production remains intentionally small, with cousins and family friends joining the harvest much as they always have. Three varieties grow on the estate, Athinolia, Koroneiki and Koutsourelia, which are blended to create an oil that is full-bodied yet balanced, with notes of tomato, fig, grass, artichoke and walnut followed by a peppery finish. While its roots remain firmly in Laconia, Tou Patera looks further afield. Based in Los Angeles, the brand was created to introduce Greek olive oil and, eventually, honey, herbs and other pantry staples to an international audience. Photography and careful curation are part of that story too, capturing not only what the land produces but something of the life around it. At its heart, Tou Patera remains small and personal, built around a family, a familiar piece of land and a harvest that brings everyone back together each year.
Tou Patera bottles a family olive-growing tradition from Laconia
