Why it pays to be picky about olive oil

There’s a story that foodie types like to wheel out about what a culinary backwater the British Isles used to be. ‘In the 1970s,’ they’ll begin. ‘The only way you could buy olive oil in Britain was as medicine for your blocked ears!’ While we might argue that Italian delis were importing olive oil to our cities since at least the 19^thcentury, it’s certainly true that olive oil is better known here than it used to be.

Indeed, the oil shelves at our markets are coming to look like those at a wine shop, with bottles arranged by style and origin. We’ve even seen the arrival of trendy olive oils that follow the paths trodden by coffee and natural wine to satisfy the curious and nerdy. The current generation Extra Virgin Olive Oils – cold pressed, unrefined, and fizzing with goodness – celebrate single origins and makers, and matching different oils to dishes is increasingly common.