Beyond Extra Virgin

Basically there are 3 broad categories of Extra Virgin Olive Oil defined by the level of flavour, style and intended use:
Sweet and Delicate
Good All Round
Strong and Punchy.

There are then two broad price bands:
Everyday (for everyday use) and
Highday (for special occasions or dishes).

We’ve chosen three oils at the everyday end and three at the high days and holidays end – all selected because we know them and personally love them.

We promise you won’t be disappointed. One other thing, the answer to the question, "which is the best olive oil?" is, simply, the one you like the best. Generally, which oil to use and when is entirely personal preference. A useful guide is to Make your choice based upon how much flavour you want to add to a dish.

Much of the olive oil that graces the shelves of the larger shop outlets are blends. This often means that oils from different regions and varieties of olives are blended together to produce a consistent flavour, aroma and appearance. All the well known brands fall into this category and, whilst they are of reasonable quality, they can be a little bland.

Over the years we've pioneered the introduction of single variety Extra Virgin Olive Oils. Each oil is pressed from one variety of olive only and has a distinctive flavour which is affected by soil, climate, maturity and processing method. People are often surprised to discover how different single variety Oils are from each other.

In the same way as some wines are identified by grape variety, our oils take the name of the olive from which they were pressed. The broad characteristics are unlikely to vary from year-to year but with the subtle, natural variations in climate, treatment, harvesting and so on the oil will, likewise have it's own subtle variations from year to year whcih for us is part of the joy of a natural product. However, unlike wine, olive oil does not improve with age.

To sample the differences for yourself try our Oil Taster Pack to see what we're on about.

« Previous: Virgin Olive Oil Classification

Next: Olives »