Gioachino Palestro

Gioachino Palestro was born into a family of farmers in the province of Pavia in 1949 and has always been passionately interested in the produce of his native land the Lomellina, where rice and corn are cultivated and geese are bred. When he was only 18 he opened a butcher's shop in Mortara, in the heart of the Lomellina, and set about rediscovering the traditional local dishes made of goose liver and salami, which go back to the times of Ludovico the Dark in the middle ages. His lively and curious mind led him to research the culinary history of the area, going back to the 15th century when a number of Hebrew communities grew up locally and due to religious dietry laws banned the use of pork in the preparation of sausages and cooked meats. At that time goose was chosen to replace the pig as the prime supplier of raw material for meat based products. Gioachino chose to concentrate on the niche market the local produce offered and realised that gastronomic dishes using goose could have a great future. His bet paid off and his emporium, which he re-baptised the Corte dell'Oca (The Gooseyard) soon became the cultural-gastronomic focal point of the area. Famous journalists, impressed by the quality of his recipes , wrote about him and in no time he and his products were well-known both in Italy and abroad. In 1987 he received the Best Artisan of the Year award from Casa Gancia di Canelli. For more than 10 years the Corte dell'Oca has been attracting famous and prestigious visitors from the culinary world who come to taste the delicacies Gioachino offers them, accompanied by fine wines chosen by the head of the family himself.

Davide Palestro

One of the two Palestro sons, Davide is particularly interested in gastronomy and cuisine. After obtaining excellent results at the Stresa Catering College, he continued his apprenticeship at various important gastronomic centres.
He is always on the look out for new, delicious recipes to offer his customers.

Daniele Palestro

Daniele has followed his father's footsteps in the butchering and cooked meats section of the family business. He prepares food for the delicatessen and works with goose and pork meats. His re-discovery of the Ecumenico - the Kosher (pure), Hebrew goose salami, selected and prepared following ancient Hebrew dietry laws provides a treat for gourmets of every religious faith and creed.