Olive Branch launched in the summer of 2011 and what a (half) year it has been! After many months of market research, product and business planning and the fun stuff that is designing the brand and packaging, we received our first pallet of 1L bottles in July and launched our lovely co-operative made Olive Oil at a tasting session which took place at an Outdoor Opera in Central London.
Of course we were a little nervous as this was our first public event but nonetheless we were eager to see the guests’ reaction to our Olive Oil. We could not have been more pleased! We were met with a really positive reception – people were amazed at the fresh taste of our product, something many of you reading this will surely agree with. Moreover, the guests were very complementary about our product presentation and about our knowledge of Olive Oil in general – it was such a pleasure to launch the product and throughout the journey home, we could not stop talking about the next course of action.
Soon after, we began to trade at markets in and around London. Trading at markets has been a wonderful way of meeting fellow ‘foodies’ and we have made many new friends from fellow foodies to musicians! Attending farmers markets has been an eye opener into the extent and quality of British produce, from meat and fish, through to quirky vegetables like purple carrots.
As we have been trading at markets, more and more people have gotten to know our product and we’re pleased to say that we are now being used by Jamie’s Ministry of Food in Stratford, the Rambing Restaurant, whilst our fans include the food critics/bloggers The Urban Grocer and Mr Foodie and well-known nutritionists’ Tomm Coles (The Health Food Companion) and Ian Marber (The Food Doctor).
The speed of sales from the first pallet exceeded our expectations and in October we were ready to organise our second shipment of 2 further pallets. With these new pallets, we decided to increase our product range by introducing 2 new sizes (250ml and 500ml) and hey presto; the Olive Branch Extra Virgin Olive Oil family was born.
The market feedback in the months since launch had been so positive that with the full range in hand, we were now ready to approach delicatessens and shops and challenge ourselves to get shelf space. The proprietors have been as enthusiastic about our product so quoting one: ‘This is the real thing. How can I use any other Olive Oil again!’ We’re now pleased to have ranging in the prestigious Sourced Market in St Pancras Station, The Larder in North London as well as popular farm shop Willows Farm Shop to name a few.
Olive Branch would like to thank all our customers for believing in our product and for all the support and encouragement you have shown us. We hope you are as excited about 2012 as we are. We have a whole host of treats (edible of course) in store for the new year including some product introductions that will enhance your kitchen experience and leave you with a long lasting smile 
On a closing note, we would like to announce that we have been chosen as the official Olive Oil partner for Dancing on Ice 2012. Watch this space for further information.
Maria x