THE OLIVE PRESS

As different varieties of olives ripen at different times in the season and individual trees may even bear fruit of varying ripeness, we achieve the highest quality without compromise by the careful selection of fruit ready for the press. Each tree is hand harvested and each variety pressed separately as it attains the perfect level of ripeness for the desired style. Our boutique mill can operate with small batches which ensures those exacting standards can be readily met. The olives are taken directly from the grove and pressed on the same day to guarantee the freshness of the final product and optimise the levels of health giving polyphenols.

Modern technology in the production of olive oil involves the crushing of the fruit by hammermill, a mixing process ( malaxation ) to separate the oil molecules from the water then extraction by centrifuge to separate the oil from the waste remnants of the fruit.

The final phase of cleaning the oil and further separation from water is achieved in some systems through a vertical centrifuge followed by filtering. Our state of the art press utilises the natural and gentle process of gravity separation in the glass decanter known as the Florentine Vase. This process fully preserves the fresh flavours and taste of the oil by not exposing it to further agitation. The finished product is then stored in stainless steel tanks to settle for about six weeks.