I sampled bottles from Aldi, M&S, Lidl, Ocado and Sainsbury’s – and found expensive isn’t always best
Olive oil prices have risen dramatically in recent years, with climate change, poor harvests, tree diseases and wider inflationary pressures, among other factors, to blame. At the same time, sales of extra virgin olive oil are up – for example, at Waitrose they have increased by 12 per cent in the past year.
It may seem contradictory, but the cost of living crisis hasn’t harmed our love for extra virgin olive oil (produced by cold-pressing olives without heat or chemicals). That it’s seen as a healthy fat is no doubt a key reason.
“We look at the Mediterranean diet and how it’s celebrated as one of the healthiest lifestyles in the world,” says Sarah Vachon, an olive oil sommelier and founder of Citizens of Soil, a high-end organic and regenerative olive oil available in Waitrose and Ocado. “The primary fat and cornerstone of how things are finished and cooked is with extra virgin olive oil.”
But it’s not just health driving our hunger for liquid gold. Home cooks are becoming more experimental, using olive oil not just for dressings but in sweet and savoury baking. “Customers are also appreciating the standalone flavour of olive oil, and therefore investing a little more in a bottle to ensure the very best quality, perfect for dunking fresh sourdough or drizzling over a homemade salad,” says Elinor Griffin, oils buyer at Waitrose.
It is also becoming a popular gift, with many bottles – including those by Citizens of Soil – aesthetically closer to wine than the nondescript plastic bottles of yore. “A pantry stocked with premium, pretty and crucially ethical brands such as Belazu or Citizens of Soil has become a status symbol,” Griffin adds.
While regular olive oil is good for frying, most cooks save extra virgin olive oil, which is more expensive, for finishing off a dish, whether dressing a salad or pouring over vegetables.
When uncooked, flavours vary almost as much as wine, says Meri La Bella, senior buyer at Ocado. Spanish oils, La Bella explains, tend to be full bodied with notes of ripe tomato, “perfect for cooking and use in everyday dishes”.
Greek bottles are more grassy and not too spicy – ideal for salad. Portuguese oils, which are harder to find in supermarkets, are light and mild, making them perfect for fish, while Italian oils vary by region. Puglian oils can be peppery and intense, while Sicilian and Tuscan are less spicy.
The sales of premium olive oil at Waitrose are outpacing regular bottles, and Vachon believes that extra virgin olive oil (sometimes abbreviated as EVOO), is currently experiencing its craft artisan moment. “We’re seeing a switch to nicer olive oils, just like we did with coffee and chocolate.”
Vachon argues that brands like Citizens of Soil “care more about provenance, the people behind it, and they’re also getting educated on the quality indicators”. Bottles that cost upwards of £20 – sometimes for half a litre – are made with less intensively farmed olives, often using organic or regenerative methods that look after the soil and biodiversity. They’ll usually pick earlier in the season, which means yields are lower but the flavour and nutrition is superior and is shipped in temperature-controlled containers, which are more expensive but preserve the oil’s quality.
“The reality is that extra virgin olive oil has been too cheap for too long,” says Vachon. “This is down to it sitting in a category of refined oils that are just substantially cheaper to produce.” Long-term changing weather patterns, floods and forest fires have also pushed prices up, while energy and labour costs, not to mention bottles and packaging, are all up.
Nevertheless, olive oil continues to be a staple on our shelves, and here are 13 options available in supermarkets, blind tasted, across a range of prices and profiles. (It’s worth noting that while tasting on their own, a peppery oil that might be overpowering on a teaspoon might shine in a vinaigrette, for example.)
Solesta Extra Virgin Olive Oil
£6.19 per litre, Aldi
Very viscous, it’s initially quite mellow then becomes quite peppery. It’s almost a bit salty, too. Ultimately a very nice oil for the price. Made with a blend of European olive oils.
Aldi’s Solesta oil is initially mellow but becomes peppery and salty (Photo: Aldi)Bio Orto Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Monocultivar Ogliarola
£23 for 500ml, Ocado
This oil, made from ogliarola olives in Italy, is on the thinner side, texture wise. It’s quite fruity, tasting distinctly olivey, with only a hint of spice. Not the most flavoursome, but it’s perfectly nice.
Waitrose No.1 Valli Trapanesi Extra Virgin Olive Oil
£14.50 for 500ml, Waitrose
A strong grassy scent, this oil is initially mellow before taking on a spicy finish. Made with a mix of Sicilian olives, it is thick and luscious, making it a delicious oil.
Il Casolare Unfiltered Extra Virgin Olive Oil
£8.50 for 500ml, Sainsbury’s
Smells incredibly fruity, has a thick, almost sticky viscosity – perhaps as it’s unfiltered, giving it a slightly cloudier colour – but tastes mild, clean and pleasant. A good one for salads.
Waitrose Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil
£7 for 500ml, Waitrose
This has a grassy green colour and a bright, almost citrussy flavour with a mild pepperiness. It’s on the more watery side, texture wise, but tastes fresh.
Specially Selected Extra Virgin Olive Oil
£5.49 for 500ml, Aldi
This PDO olive oil from Puglia is intense: grassy, bitter, overpoweringly peppery. Some will find it a challenge if consumed on its own, but for cooking and dressings that shouldn’t be an issue.
Filippo Berio 100 per cent Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
£7.50 for 500ml, Ocado
Relatively watery compared to some. There’s a bit of grassiness and pepperiness to the taste, but overall it’s a little bland, with little olive flavour.
Primadonna Extra Virgin Olive Oil
BEST AFFORDABLE BUY
£4.65 for 750ml, Lidl
Remarkably, it almost smells like it’s had vinegar and lemon added to it already. It tastes beautiful, like marinated olives from a jar. It is mild but intensely flavoursome and quite creamy. Made with Spanish olives.
Lidl’s Primadonna Olive Oil is the best value for money (Photo: Lidl)Taste the Difference Greek Kalamata Extra Virgin Olive Oil
£7 for 500ml, Sainsbury’s
Another PDO oil, this Greek number is peppery but not overpowering. It is delicate, fruity, and nicely balanced. It won’t wow you when dipping bread in oil, but it’s a great all-rounder.
Deluxe Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil
£6.49 for 500ml, Lidl
Although it comes in a pretty bottle with a handle and a stopper, it’s one of the least flavoursome, and overly bitter and spicy, like eating the seeds of a red pepper.
M&S Extra Virgin Olive Oil
£8.50 for 1 litre, M&S
Made from Spanish olives, this has remarkable citrussy notes, like someone’s made an olive oil and grapefruit dressing. It’s got a good, thick viscosity, but not overly so, and the grassy citrussy notes give it a slight sourness. A very nice oil.
Olive Branch Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil
£12 for 500ml, Ocado
This has a slightly harsh flavour, which hits the back of the throat instantly and is almost a bit petrolly.
M&S Nocellara Del Belice Extra Virgin Olive Oil
BEST EXPENSIVE BUY
£10.50 for 500ml, M&S
An intensely olivey smell, the taste is quite sweet and mild, with a delicate pepperiness at the end. This is very pleasant and well balanced, and would cap off meat, vegetable or pasta dishes beautifully.
Dining and Cooking