Business South August 2020

| 51 Volume 29 | Issue 4 businesssouth Everything an olive grower would need Olive grove and orchardist equipment • 100% KIWI OWNED AND OPERATED Nestled in the foothills of the Brynderyn Mountains, near the small town of Mangawai in Northland, sits the picturesque olive grove, Olives on the Hill, owned by Chris and Linda Smith. The beautiful rural setting is also home to The Grove Supply Co. “We provide anything that a small to medium olive grower would need, from harvesting equipment, brilliant de-leafers, nets, rakes and bins, a huge range of fustis and stainless-steel tanks, taps, filters and cappers,” says Linda. “We also have equipment for orchardists to crush and press other fruits.” Last year, Chris and Linda took the opportunity to travel to Italy and Greece, visiting their main suppliers of plant and machinery sold through The Grove Supply Co. The trip was incredibly successful, and meeting the people they do business with face-to-face has enabled strong relationships to be established that will result in benefits being passed on to customers of The Grove Supply Co. “We source only high quality brands and we believe customer service is paramount.” They say. The Grove Supply Co. is the only official distributor of the amazing ATRAX-4 harvesting machine from the Greek manufacturer, Spacesonic, and all Sansone oil storage products. “I really believe the olive industry can complete on the world stage but we have to compete on quality.” says Linda. “Jan and Niall’s stunning Gold medal award at the prestigious New York International Olive Oil Awards is testament to the quality oils they produce and we are proud to supply them for their harvesting and oil storage needs.” While The Grove Supply Co. customers can buy products online by visiting their website - http://grovesupply.co.nz/ , Chris and Linda welcome customers to call in at their grove where they can chat about olives, taste the oil and view the equipment. 09 945 0890 | info@grovesupply.co.nz | grovesupply.co.nz TIGER SV-38 Pruner from Zanon The Tiger SV-38, from Zanon, is ideal for smaller olive trees, and for your fruit trees, grape vines, etc. This is an incredible tool you must try to believe. It comes with a small Li-ion battery that weighs around 1kg and straps to your belt. You will be amazed at how enjoyable pruning can be. Pruning can be fun... with the right tools. The olives are harvested in June/July and are put through the press no more than 24 hours after harvest. PRODUCTION » Old French Road Olives Banks Peninsula oil an international winner R eceiving a gold award at the 2020 New York Olive Oil awards is another feather in the cap for Banks Peninsula’s Old French Road Olives. Based at Takamatua near Akaroa, Old French Road was one of seven New Zealand producers to win at the New York competition which is con- sidered the largest and most prestigious olive oil contest in the world. Old French Road – ownd by Jan Whyte and Niall Holland - won their gold award for a single-blend Picholine oil which also won at last year’s Olives NZ industry awards. Jan says the New York success shows New Zealand is producing “world standard Extra virgin Olive Oil”. “It’s very exciting to win and get that recognition – quiet remarkable really, and shows that we are right up with the world’s best.” Jan says the Picholine oil (this olive variety is French) has a “fruity nose and a flavour of fresh green leaves, cut grass with hints of spice”. “This is followed by a deep pungency and a warm, peppery after-taste”. Olive oils are graded as mild, medium or intense and Jan says, while some olive varieties can vary from season to season, their Picholine is “always intense”. Picholine is one of several varieties grown on the property, with others including Kalamata, Sevillano, Manzanillo, Frantoia and UDP. “They each have their own flavours. Some are used for oil, some for table olives, and some for both. Each year the flavour varies from the previous year. Just as with grapes.” Jan and Niall bought the grove (established in 2000) in 2011, and renamed it Old French Road as it is located on the track used by the early settlers to go from Takamatua to Akaroa. Jan says the property’s unique northerly position, its fertile soils and maritime weather create an ideal growing location for their 1100 trees. “We harvest for the production of single variety oils, rather than blended oils and that’s been the foundation of our success over the years.” All of the oils produced at Old French Road are classified as “extra virgin” - with the certification done by Olives NZ. Jan says there are “strict requirements” around the certification – which includes a taste test and analysis of the oil’s properties. “All extra virgin oil must be cold pressed at less than 28 degrees. If you have it warmer than that in the press, then you may get more oil but less flavour and less of the beneficial polyphenols – so not enough of the good stuff!” The olives are harvested in June/July and are put through the press no more than 24 hours after harvest. “I think that’s one reason that our oils do well – it is particularly important. If you leave them any longer than that they can lose flavour, intensity and obtain faults like mustiness as the fruit heats up with fermentation”. While they have previously had their fruit pro- cessed at Waipara, this year they are pressing the fruit themselves for the first time, having invested in their own Oliomio processing machine. Jan says producing their own oil is very exciting and will give them more control over their produc- tion. “It was a big decision to make – it’s a signifi- cant investment, but we weighed everything up and decided that was what we wanted to do. Currently it costs $1.10 per kg to get the oil processed so a tonne would cost around $1100 – so it won’t take long to get that investment back. Jan says this year’s harvest – which runs for about six weeks from mid-June- is looking good, with around 200 newer trees producing for the first time. “It’s the first year that all of our trees are producing although the newer ones are at about 5-10kg a tree, whereas the more mature tress are usually around 20-25 kgs. “This year’s crop is exceptional. We had particu- larly good fertilisation during summer. Olives don’t need a lot of water, but they do need some. They love the sun and there was plenty of it this year”. “Each year we will probably get around 1000 litres of oil from the harvest. “Currently we average about 15kg of oil from each 100kg of fruit, which is a good yield for this far south”. Old French Road sells most of its output locally – including at the Akaroa farmer’s Market, the Barry’s Bay Cheesery in Davauchelle and The Little River Store. Online sales are an increasingly important part of the business. Jan says the oil is aimed at the higher end of the market, with a 250ml bottle selling for $20 and 500ml for $30. “It is a premium product that is costly to produce and the price reflects that. Our market is steadily growing, but it does take time to build up an under- standing of the high value given by our product.” She says to that extent the international awards success will undoubtedly help to raise their profile. “It’s also a vindication of what we are doing here. We take a lot of care in the grove, it’s hard work and its nice to reap the rewards from that effort and see the end product do so well.” Nick Gormack