Pivnița Bunicii
WHO IS PIVNIȚA BUNICII?
'Pivnița Bunicii' means Grandma's Cellar or Pantry, it has this name because when visiting 'Grandma', she would always retrieve food to serve at her table from the cellar. Before the days of electricity & gas, grandma preserved food for the winter in her cellar, built under the house exactly for this purpose, with a steady cool temperature & a humidity than could be maintained throughout the year.
WHERE ARE THEY?
Pivnița Bunicii are located in the town of Saschiz in South-East Transylvania, one of the four UNESCO World heritage sites in the Târnava Mare area. It boasts some of the finest, pristine wildflower-rich grasslands, where traditional farming is still carried out in ecological balance with nature, where many of the local population are completely self-sufficient producing fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy products that have real flavour - the way food used to taste in Western Europe before the intensification of agriculture and the year-round supply created by supermarkets.
The landscape is the result of centuries of good husbandry by local farming communities. It creates a unique sense of place and is a beautiful mosaic of ancient oak, hornbeam & beech forests, wildflower-rich meadows and pastures that support an astonishingly rich wildlife of plants, birds, mammals and insects.
WHAT DO THEY DO?
Their mission is to create a business that is commercially viable, ethical & sustainable, making delicious, natural and wholesome foods. The aim of Pivnița Bunicii is to provide support to rural communities in the area, by purchasing the people's produce or by harvesting wild flowers, fruits & berries, to process into traditional products with a superb taste... 'just like grandma used to make'.
Their logo, that you can see below, is an artistic impression of 'Salvia Nutans', which is considered to be the most symbolic plant of the Târnava Mare area.
THE PRODUCE...
Pivnița Bunicii started with a few good quality jams, nicely packaged and presented them for sale to tourists. They now have a wide range of jams, fruit syrups, elderflower cordial, elderflower gin, chutneys & various other preserves. Their preserves bring together traditional Saxon recipes and some artisan innovation.
Whilst quality and tradition remain the key to Pivnița Bunicii, their products also reflect innovation in the use of wonderful, locally available ingredients. The products are made in small batches only to maintain the flavour but also because the best quality fruits are only available for a relatively short period of time and the quantity available each year is weather dependant. Different fruits and berries become available every two to three weeks from June to October.
