Interview: Rastrello owner Christiane Wassmann on importance of B Corp in the luxury industry

Rastrello, the 14th century boutique hotel in the heart of Umbria, was recently awarded one of only 76 B Corp certifications in the hospitality and accommodation category. This is a certification that is awarded to companies that have voluntarily met the highest standards for social and environmental performance.

These companies are verified by B Lab — the body that awards these certifications — to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability, which in turn makes them invaluable to the luxury industry.

With sustainability and environmentalism being some of the key pillars of importance not just for consumers but also for the hospitality industry, B Corp has become increasingly important to the luxury industry. It has created a new benchmark for hotels, restaurants and other luxury arenas to aspire to. And this is where Rastrello has excelled tremendously.The hotel manufactures its own award winning olive oil, with the owner, Christiane Wassmann being widely regarded as an olive oil sommelier. The hotel also sources all its ingredients from her family’s organic farm. Christianne is also herself a huge sustainability and environment advocate, making sure to give back to the local community in any way she can.

We spoke to Christiane about Rastrello, the hotel’s recent B Corp certification, what exactly being an olive oil sommelier entails and why it is such an important aspect of the luxury industry. 

Related: Chef Sally Abé talks empowering women in the kitchen, mental health and her comfort foodsYou have lived all over the world, but you decided to open your beautiful hotel Rastrello in Umbria. What was the reason behind choosing this specific location? 

My parents bought their olive farm in Panicale almost 30 years ago and I have been coming here since then. This was the connection that brought me here and with the years that have passed, I have felt closer and closer to the village and therefore wanted to create our hotel.

You recently obtained a B-Corp certification for the hotel, becoming one of only 76 B Corps in the hospitality category. How does that feel?
It feels very rewarding to be one of the first certified B Corps in hospitality. It is an area that is only going to keep growing. Conscious consumers need a certification that they understand on a global level. I feel as if B Corp is the most encompassing certification that really covers the important levels of what a responsible company should be committed to. It’s not just being environmental; it’s being socially responsible as well. Why, according to you, is B-Corp so important to the luxury industry?
The luxury traveller is trending to be a sustainability-conscious consumer. When they see that a property is a B Corp, they are already assured that where they are staying has the same values that they do. They value a farm-to-fork menu, they value that all team members are locals, they love refilling their water bottles… They can leave feeling good about themselves.

Your hotel sources many of its ingredients from your family’s organic farm. Can you talk about all the various sustainability aspects of the hotel?
Some of the most important sustainability points, for me, are that my team members are all locals, some living only steps from the hotel; we are committed to being single-use plastic-free and we have an extensive waste management system, which goes down to reusing the cardboard from shipments as a weed-control and water retention layer in our veggie gardens. We have a variety of composting methods in use, including worms, fertilising compost tea, and differentiated compost pits and we have multiple water retention/recycling systems set up at the farm. For me, the most important point is that we have team training, we constantly talk about why we are committed to our actions. It only works if we are all honest with our actions and once the whole team is on board, our guests feel that.

Related: How The Caring Family Foundation is helping restore the Amazon rainforestAmong the many different hats you wear, you are also an olive oil sommelier! What does that role entail? Have you faced any challenges being a woman in the olive oil industry?
Being an olive oil sommelier means that I am qualified/certified to taste test and label EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) as well as to educate consumers about tasting and purchasing high quality EVOO. It has been an incredible yet challenging journey being a foreigner in Italy producing olive oil, as well as being a woman in a male-dominated industry in our area of Italy. The most uncomfortable feeling is when I am the only woman at the mill waiting for my olive oil to come out and no man will talk with me. 

Italy has such a strong and long history of olive oil production, that seeing a foreign woman “trying to produce a high-quality olive oil” is a bit criticised. We are also huge advocates for no-till and regenerative agriculture, which isn’t the most common practice in our area (yet), so we tend to get a bit criticised for that as well. However, it helps to have another female — my mother — as well as other family members working with me, who are extremely supportive. We also have a female agronomist. Women need to support each other — which is something that I strongly believe in.

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