Since The Real Olive Company’s humble beginnings in Bristol’s historic St Nicholas market in 1998, a lot has changed, but our values have remained the same; to source and supply the most authentic, delicious olives and Mediterranean foods.
We prepare a unique range of fresh olives and Mediterranean foods from our accredited production site in the heart of Bristol. Our commitment to quality and sustainability has led us to being certified by Organic Farmers and Growers as an organic producer, we now offer a unique range of organic products in addition to our conventional range.
Our olives, we should hasten to add, remain the same delicious fruits the ancients knew, growing in the old unhurried way in the same Mediterranean groves. We prepare them using time honoured methods, then package them with the greatest care to ensure that they reach you, our customers, in perfect condition.
Vegan, plant based & gluten free – whatever your business, our products are tailored to meet all the olive and antipasti needs of the Foodservice industry.
Our products
Our olives take their time to ripen under azure Mediterranean skies through the sun-soaked summer months. In the autumn, when the fruit is still fresh and green, our farmers collect the first harvest, and in January the dark, beautifully ripe olives are carefully gathered in. All our olives are handpicked and double graded with thorough Quality Control in place to ensure the highest standards are met. For our fresh marinated blends we always use cold-pressed unrefined oil and the highest quality herbs and spices for exceptional flavour.
Our manufacturing process is accredited by ‘ SALSA – Safe & Local Supplier Association – we are currently working towards full BRC grade A accreditation.
Our packaging
Sustainability is at our very core and underpins our company values. We continue to work closely with our innovative packaging suppliers with an ultimate goal of ensuring all our packaging is 100% recyclable.
The new 1kg pouches are a result of this continual improvement, meaning that not only do the new 1kg olive range taste and look fantastic, they are also packaged in fully recyclable pouches.
Find more information on our research and sustainability here.
Our suppliers
We source our olives from trusted growers on the shores of the Mediterranean – real people who understand the unhurried rhythms of the olive tree, farmers who we have worked with for many years and know from long experience that the best olives grow where flora and fauna flourish. The organic groves help to create a haven for wildflowers, insects and birds which remain as they have for thousands of years.
With the majority of our farmers living on the land they farm, their lives and work are often entwined. Their values and passions run through their day to day lives and for them the health of the land is paramount to the well-being of the groves. The result; a successful and bountiful harvest year after year.
Our pledge
As a part of our commitment to sustainability and protecting the planet for future generation we have recently partnered with the Sustainable Soils Alliance (SSA). We have pledged to donate 1% of our profits to invest in their work to improve soil health for future generations.
We strongly believe that a bright and positive future for us all on this beautiful planet is well within our reach. We are committed to building a business that puts the welfare of people and planet above all else for generations to come.