Made from quality organic olives grown in the heart of Italy's Umbria, Pax Jani Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil's taste is hard to beat. And there is an inspiring story behind how this brand found its way to the shelves of Waitrose...a very essential oil.
Much has been written about the health benefits of eating a Mediterranean diet - fresh salads, grilled and roasted meat, fish and vegetables and, of course, olive oil. One man who can testify more than most to the life-enhancing nature of this diet is David McTaggart, the former head of environmental group Greenpeace. For 20 exhausting years he travelled to all corners of the world as Greenpeace's leader, taking part in everything from summit meetings to direct action.
Slowing Down
Then one day, a doctor told him bluntly that he had a weak heart and if he continued with his stressful lifestyle, he would be dead within four years. He resigned within 24 hours of the doctor's warning. Slowing down the hectic pace of his life, he moved to Italy in 1987. There he bought a derelict farmhouse complete with a neglected olive grove in the tiny village of Paciano in Umbria's Lake Trasimeno region. Ever the workaholic, David McTaggart spent the next two to three years restoring the land, reclaiming the old olive trees and planting more. The farm had stood empty for more than 50 years and literally hundreds of gnarled olive trees had survived from season to season, with no one to harvest their fruit. By 1992, 3,000 new trees had been planted and olive oil production began. Yet incredibly, producing olive oil had not been not part of his plans when he first decided to buy the farmhouse. His business partner David Newman recalls: 'He simply liked its position, surrounded by regional forestry and parkland, and the land came with it. I was working as an estate agent at that time and, as a lifetime supporter of Greenpeace, I couldn't believe it when this man walked through my door and announced that he was looking for a property in the area. David McTaggart is my hero and this was like a dream come true.'
Environmental Concerns
Both Davids are passionate about the organic movement. They refuse to use artificial fertiliser and chemical pesticides. 'Our trees are given no chemicals or insecticides - just sunshine, water and manure.' All the olive oil produced here is certified organic by the authorities in Bologna. Strict soil and product analyses are carried out twice a year to guarantee the purity of the product before it can be bottled.'Chemicals have never been used on the land,' says David Newman. 'This is important to both of us - there's a huge moral argument in favour of eating clean food and maintaining a clean environment.'The oil's taste is hard to beat. 'Its flavour is mild, slightly peppery and grassy,' says David Newman. 'It is also unfiltered, as we believe the filtering process is damaging to olive oil. No one thought to filter olive oil 40 years ago.
Recognising Quality
From humble beginnings with first-year sales of just 800 bottles, last year saw sales of 25,000 half-litre bottles to Waitrose and a further 10,000 bottles sold locally. 'We have an extraordinarily good product,' says David Newman. 'It's not enough just to be organic - it's got to be good as well and we think it is. We know that customers at Waitrose expect high quality food and for us, it's a privilege to be one of the best in their range.'
This article was first published on Waitrose.com in March 2001.