Fedra and Spiros (Jeff) Konstantinou run Fedra Olive Grove. Photo: Supplied.
Fedra Olive Grove has been awarded Champion Australian Olive Oil Producer at the Melbourne Royal Australian Food Awards.
The family-run olive grove sits just off the Federal Highway near Collector, and they’re no stranger to winning awards.
Owners Spiros (Jeff) Konstantinou and Fedra Konstantinou started Fedra Olive Grove in 1999, looking for something different to their other businesses and inspired by their Greek Heritage. But when Jeff first arrived in Australia, olive oil wasn’t the pantry staple it is today.
“We used to buy it from the chemist! So there’s been a big change,” he told Region.
Over 6000 olive trees are used to produce Fedra’s award-winning extra virgin olive oil with a specially imported Italian olive oil press.
Jeff explained that not all olive oil is the same, and they have to balance picking early (lower yield but stronger flavour) with letting the olives ripen further (higher yield, but less intense taste).
“Europeans want it a bit more robust, they come in and say ‘give me the darker one, I want a stronger taste’ but Australians, and most of the restaurants we supply, prefer a milder flavour. So we have our Fedra oil, which is more robust, and Jeff’s Blend, which is a bit lighter.
“We started by doing the right thing, and now we’ve got people coming back for 10 or 15 years wanting Fedra oil. There are no chemicals in our oil: that’s why people love it.”
Fedra Olive Grove has won best olive oil at the recent Melbourne Royal Show. Photo: Supplied.
The judging for the olive oil category was led by internationally regarded expert Claudia Guillaume from the Olive Wellness Institute. She said the judges looked for clean oils with vibrant aromas, revealing layers of flavour, texture and complexity.
“From delicate and elegant styles through to robust and intensely flavoured oils, what stood out was the producer’s understanding of the variety and their ability to bring out its best qualities. The care taken in the orchard, the timing of harvest, and the precision of processing were all evident in the finished product,” she said.
“The standout oils were complex and harmonious. They had intensity without being aggressive, and every characteristic felt purposeful and well-integrated. They also showed exceptional freshness, one of Australia’s greatest advantages as an olive oil producer.
“The very best oils told a story about the variety, the season and the decisions made by the producer throughout the journey from grove to bottle.”
The Melbourne win is certainly a feather in Fedra’s cap, but they are no stranger to awards. The grove started winning medals in 2009 and never stopped.
Jeff has even taken his olive oils to overseas competitions to see how Australian olive oils stack up against Italian and Greek producers: Jeff’s Blend won a gold medal, and Fedra’s oil won two!
Despite his age, Jeff has no intention of slowing down: “I don’t know how many years I have left, and when you’ve been here for so many years maybe you just want to relax. But it’s good, and it makes me proud, so we will continue to do it.”
He recommends visiting Fedra Olive Grove to see where the olives are grown, and picking up a bottle or two of this award-winning product.
Fedra Olive Grove is located at 5796 Federal Highway, Collector, NSW. Follow Fedra Olive Grove on Facebook. See the full list of winners from the Melbourne Royal Food Awards.
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