Organic extra virgin olive oil crafted in the foothills of the pyrenees for over 100 years.

There are dozens of decisions between harvest and consumption that determine how your oil tastes and what goodness is in it. Here's how we do it.

In the field

Our olives are grown using 100% organic farming practices, this is made possible by the variety of olive tree, thriving local biodiversity, as well as dry air due to a separation of the groves from the sea by the Prades mountains.

We farm regeneratively, using techniques such as natural ground coverage, minimal soil disturbance & responsible pruning. After all, healthy soil is the basis of exceptional olive oil. The groves have a sophisticated irrigation system in place which provides very precise water management. This is both essential for maintaining the health and productivity of the trees, as well as ensuring optimal sustainability without wastage.

When harvesting

The Arbequina olives are picked and milled in the first months of the season, when the olives are still green and the flavour at its best. Choosing the precise moment to harvest olives is important to optimise the flavour, stability, and yield of oil produced.

To ensure this is done right, our mill is equipped with a near infrared detection analysis (NIR) system, capable of determining acidity, moisture, oil content, polyphenol content, ripeness index & fruit health. This tells us exactly when to pick them off the tree. Generally, we harvest our olives before they are at their ripest, while this compromises on yield - it optimises the concentration of polyphenols and flavour.

Transporting from field to mill

When the olives are picked, they are taken immediately to the temperature controlled mill which is located on the same site as the groves. Having the mill so close to the groves is key as the shorter the time between harvesting and milling, the more flavour & nutritional content is retained.

We aim for 30 minutes between harvesting and arriving at the mill which is by no means standard, with some of the best producers even boasting a 12 hour time period.  

Milling

Milling is the stage in which the olives are turned from a solid to a liquid. Traditionally this was done by large stone wheels which crushed the olives. In our process it is done by tiny knives rather than stone wheels to minimise stress on the olives.

Key milling parameters such as sieve size, rotor speed, and cutting temperature can all be adjusted. When milling we keep the temperature of the paste at 26°C. This is the sweet spot that provides the ideal balance between aroma expression and polyphenol extraction. 

Malaxation

Malaxing is the process in which the pulp is massaged/kneaded in order to homogenise the oil droplets so they come together forming larger droplets, essential for the following extraction process. The olive paste is first processed using an innovative airtight vertical malaxing system with 8 mixers, each holding 800 kg of paste, these are designed to minimise oxygen exposure and allow for very short malaxing times (under 15 minutes), which helps preserve and concentrate the oil’s aromas. Thermal jackets enable precise control of paste temperature, kept consistently at 26 °C as with the milling.

Extraction

Extraction is the process in which the oil is separated from the paste. The extraction phase uses two horizontal centrifuges with different capacities (1,500 kg/hour and 6,000 kg/hour), designed to efficiently separate the solid matter, water, and oil. 

A secondary vertical centrifugation system removes any remaining water, ensuring a clean and pure extra virgin olive oil. 

Packaging

Our oil is packaged in a bag under vacuum. This bag has a tap at the base which ensures that when the oil leaves the bag, the bag contracts and the space is not replaced by air - so the oil does not oxidise.

Keeping the exposure to oxygen as minimal as possible is key when preserving the polyphenols present. As well the bag is opaque, so photo-oxidation can not occur as it does in a glass bottle.