Olives

Our buyers track down the best olives from Spain, Greece and Italy.

Most of the world’s olives are produced around the Mediterranean, and especially in Spain, Greece and Italy, so that’s where we source our range. It includes olives for every taste, from Italy’s large, fruity Bella de Cerignola, to the small, fine-textured manzanillas of Spain.

What kinds of olive does Waitrose sell?

We sell loose and pre-packed olives, including marinated and stuffed varieties. These are some of our pre-packed range.

Waitrose Spanish whole green olives
The small, manzanilla variety, these are unique to the groves of Andalucia. Rounded, fleshy and fine-textured, they have a distinctive flavour. Good with drinks and in salads.

Carbonell hot pepper stuffed olives
Delicate manzanillas, whose flavour is perfectly complemented by slivers of hot pepper. Also available stuffed with smoked salmon or lemon.

Waitrose Spanish black a le greque olives
These fully-ripened black olives are oven-dried to produce an intensive flavour. Good with dry sherry, or in stews and casseroles.

Waitrose Spanish pitted green olives
Plump green olives, stuffed with whole Marcona almonds, a sweet, creamy variety which complements the salty olives. Good with drinks, or to top grilled chicken or fish.

Waitrose Spanish stuffed queen olives
The large, meaty gordal variety, these have a milder flavour than manzanillas. They’re stuffed with pimento, the sweet, succulent Spanish pepper.

Waitrose Greek whole kalamata
Traditionally grown in the Kalamata region of the Peloponnese, these dark purple olives have a fruity flavour, ideal in Greek salads or cooked dishes.

Buongusto bella di cerignola
These plump, fleshy green olives only grow in Italy’s sun-drenched Puglia region. They’re hand-picked and stored in barrels to preserve their mild, nutty taste. Best eaten as a snack with drinks.

Gaea olympian organic
Hand-picked from selected organic groves around the ancient Greek city of Olympia, these are plump, fleshy and full of flavour. Good with drinks or in Greek salad.

Waitrose Greek mixed marinated
A combination of olympian green, cracked Kalamata and black amfissa olives, marinated with oregano and pimento. Good as part of an antipasto platter, with dry-cured ham, artichoke hearts and roasted peppers.

Some ideas for cooking with olives:

• Make a simple tapenade from rinsed, drained capers, Waitrose Spanish sliced olives, drained anchovy fillets, extra virgin oil, a little brandy and freshly-ground black pepper. Whizz together in a food processer, then spread on crispbread.
• Serve chicken breasts with chilli flakes, lemon wedges, sun-dried tomotoes, baby spinach and Bella di Cerignola olives.
• Make a classic Greek salad with vine tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, feta cheese and whole kalamata olives.