There are said to be about 800 million olive trees on earth at this moment. 93% of these trees are growing in the Mediterranean - birthplace of the olive.
Olives are grown in Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Tunisia, Morocco, Turkey, Portugal, China, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, Angola, South Africa, Uruguay, Afghanistan, Australia and California. There are a vast number of olive varieties and each one varies in size and flavour.
Our range of olives is inspired by the delicious natural flavours found on a Provençal market stall. We offer a cross section of popular flavours and unusual varieties from throughout the Mediterranean.
All of our olives are supplied with the stone in, ie unpitted, as we believe they retain a better flavour, texture and shape if left unstoned.
If you’ve ever tried eating an olive straight from the tree you were probably disappointed. Fresh olives are extremely bitter. The final flavour of the olive you eat at home greatly depends on how ripe it is when picked and the processing it receives. Under-ripe olives are always green, whereas ripe olives may be either purple or black.
Green olives should have a smooth appearance, even colour and firm texture. When you bite into it the flesh should feel solid and firmly attached to the stone. WARNING SIGNS: Wrinkling; dented, damaged looking olives; a mottled appearance; loose skin
Black olives are the opposite. If they are naturally black, they should look shiny and slightly wrinkled. They should have a strong, liquorice flavour with a hint of bitterness and salt. Their texture should be soft and the stone should be loosely attached the stone. WARNING SIGNS: A matt black finish and a totally smooth skin could imply it is a green olive that has been dyed black or a colour stabiliser/fixer added.
Please note that the free gift does not apply to any special offers ordered
