Today we are extremely proud and excited to share with you some wonderful news! We are thrilled to announce that this summer of our 10th anniversary, we have received our very first 3-star award in Great Taste 2019! Our favourite 17°C organic extra virgin olive oil has been rated as a 3-star product, the highest accolade in Great Taste 2019. From a record 12,772 entries only 208 products achieved a 3-star award, so as you can imagine this feels like the most beautiful anniversary present!
Our 17°C extra virgin olive oil is a limited production olive oil made from unripe olives, crushed with fresh lemons, oranges and thyme. It is single estate and single variety, made exclusively from Koroneiki olives, in our farm in Sparta, Greece. It is hand-harvested in early December every year, cold extracted and unfiltered.
Awards of the past include the LA International Olive Oil Competition of 2015 and of 2017 (Silver Medals), The Great Taste Awards of 2015 (1-star), and the Olive Japan in 2017 (Silver), gaining the second place in ranking for the Best Flavoured Olive Oils 2017 Worldwide.
We love pairing this olive oil with fresh white fish, roasted colourful vegetables and use it to create wonderful dressings for our summer tomato salads. We will have more recipes on our blog very soon, so watch this space!
And some of the judges’ words:
The epitome of what is possible when a product is made honestly with the highest quality ingredients. Simply superb. The lemon, and orange come through separately, but with symbiosis, to deliver a long silky citrus aftertaste.
The explosion of the individual flavours is really attractive, and yet the oil is piquant but also balanced and smooth, lacking the peppery hit at the end. This oil gives a flavoursome experience…The aromas are clean and a good length on the palate.
This oil has a beautiful golden colour and a smooth, rich buttery texture with clear discernible aromas of lemon and orange rather than any generic citrus. On the palate it’s a delicious, complex oil with the same citrus notes clearly apparent as well as the presence of thyme. There is a pepperiness that is well-balanced and not overpowering, so the other flavours can still be enjoyed. A true flavour journey and a great product that is long on the palate and leaves you wanting more.
And we are even more proud to share that this is not the only awarded produce!
Two of our olives received a two-star award! Our Kalamata Olives with Herbs and our Kalamata Olives with Lemon and Herbs received two stars each.
The judges’ words for the Kalamata Olives with Herbs:
Good shiny appearance and a pleasing aroma of herbs…The vinegar used with its addition of herbs adds fragrance and acidity, offsetting the olives’ richness…Beautiful soft texture with a pleasing meaty natural texture and flavour complemented by notes of herbs. A delight!
And for the Kalamata Olives with Lemon and Herbs:
…appealing to look at, uniform in size and a nice colour. We liked the zesty aroma in the oil. …they have an enjoyable texture and a juiciness and bite. We loved the zesty lemon flavour, the aromatic herbs and notes of honey blossom. The kalamata olives here are tender, plump, and delicious, and worth an an award in their own right. The olive oil in which they sit, is simply delicious, and delivers a really authentic citrus edge. Overall a quite wonderful flavour combination.
Have a look at exciting recipes with olives all around our blog.
And last, but definitely not least, our Orange Blossom Honey was also awarded with one star! Read a few of the judges’ own words below and find exciting recipes with honey here.
A beautiful texture, golden colour and a very elegant floral aroma of the orange blossom. The texture was smooth and melted in the mouth nicely. The flavour was rather beautiful, with lovely balance – plenty of the orange blossom flavour comes through, and there is a rich sweetness making for a very rounded and delicious honey.
We promise to continue to offer you unique foods of exquisite taste, crafted with respect for the land and the people.
