Olives and more

Just returned from a visit to a great little shop in Forest Hill, south east London.  Olives and More is crammed full of absolutely first class Spanish produce.  As its name implies, this shop is dedicated to the olive, with the emphasis on extra virgin olive oil.  It is the brainchild of Mar … who also runs the website and blog Mar de Olivos.  This name translates as “Sea of Olives Trees”, inspired by the landscape of large parts of Andalucia.

Mar’s passionate interest in all things olive started in 2013 when she learnt that extra virgin olive oil could help to manage the symptoms of Diabetes 2.  She started with the website and then in December last year opened Olives and More.

Her evoo offering includes oils pressed from nine different olive varieties by thirteen producers and features the multi-award winning Finca la Torre as well as Parqueoliva, Pago Baldio San Carlos and OMed among a really great line up.  I was pleased to see that the 2019 harvest has already made it into the shop with Bavoleum, a winner at the first Spanish olive oil competition of the year in Jaen.

Mar loves to talk to her customers and learn new ways of using her favourite ingredient.  The latest suggestion is to soak dried figs in extra virgin olive oil before serving as a snack.

The shop also has a good range of loose table olives from which to choose and Mar has sourced completely biodegradable boxes in which to pack them.  She also sells many other Spanish products such as honey, vinegar, paprika and almonds.  Particularly interesting is the olive oil dark chocolate bar with roasted olive seeds.  If you are local watch out for new products arriving.

Mar also organises olive oil tasting courses and visits to Spain to see the harvesting and production at first hand.