about us

Years ago, when Maan lived in Saudi Arabia, and Zoé in Switzerland, every visit Maan made included a suitcase full of pressed dates, olive oil, and spices from his family’s farm in Al Jouf, Saudi Arabia. We would share them with friends & family here in Switzerland.

When Maan moved to Switzerland, closing our long-distance, the regular “supply” of dates directly from Saudi came to a halt, leaving both us and our friends & family missing something that had already quickly became a regular part of the way we all eat.

We thought that if we and our friends & family were missing the pressed dates so intensely, surely others would too after trying them. What initially began as a bit of a joke, quickly became serious to fill the gap of quality dates in Switzerland. The dates you find here at the supermarket tend to be improperly stored, carelessly mass-sourced from settler farms and often produced through monoculture farming with little-to-no care to the soil.

We decided that we want to be the change, the ones to responsibly source quality dates from trusted farms focused on regenerative farming, not profit farming. We started dattelmond with our signature pressed dates, slowly expanding to other carefully thought-out products, trying to do our part to participate in the slow food concept.

Growing up in rural Switzerland surrounded by nature, we were always outside. I was introduced to the concept of permaculture from an early age, and at home we tried our best to turn that "concept" into reality on the land that we live(d) on. We wanted to not only “make use of the land” that we had, but turn it into a better place than it was when we moved to our property, doing what we can to nourish the soil under strictly organic principles. We nourish our garden and in return it nourishes us.

I believe that food is substantially deeper than something you eat to get full; it’s healing when consumed consciously. We’ve always reached for herbs and roots instead of over-the-counter medications. That mindset carries directly into how we operate dattelmond on a daily basis, and into our constant efforts to improve and deepen our commitment to sustainability.

We work directly with a small number of partner farms, primarily in Saudi Arabia, chosen for the way they grow and handle their dates. These partnerships are built carefully and intentionally, with a focus on quality, clear origins, and commitment to sustainability of the land.

Maan maintains close contact with our partner farms. Visiting and staying connected allows us to better understand the growing conditions, harvesting methods, and people behind the palms. Every visit to his family in Saudi Arabia, is a visit to the farms as well.

We choose to work with farms that respect the land they depend on. Date palms are grown alongside other plants to support soil health and biodiversity. Water is used carefully through drip irrigation, and the growing dates are protected using fruit nets, rather than chemical treatments. All of our products are grown fully without the use of chemicals or pesticides. Real farming is far from easy, but it is simple, as nature initially intended.

Our assortment is growing slowly and thoughtfully. We are not trying to offer everything, just for the sake of offering everything. Every product we carry is consciously chosen and has a clear reason to be here. We only offer foods we consume ourselves and can fully stand behind. If we wouldn’t eat something ourselves, it doesn’t belong in our shop.

That same standard applies to ingredients. We are a seed-oil-free brand and avoid unnecessary additives or complicated formulations. We focus exclusively on whole foods with simple, transparent ingredients.

Simple food matters, because we believe what you eat should nourish and delight.