As the rising price of olive oil edges the drizzling commodity ever closer to ‘special occasion’ status, choosing the right bottle has become tricky. These days, even a routine supermarket top-up can feel like a small investment so, which supermarket olive oil is really worth buying. Are premium labels really superior, or can supermarket own-brands deliver the same good mouth feel and earthy flavour for less?
At the top of the hierarchy sits extra virgin olive oil, the benchmark for quality and the bottle most salad dressing shoppers reach for. Made by cold-pressing olives at low temperatures, it remains completely unrefined, preserving the flavour nuances that come from olive variety, region and harvest conditions. Much like wine, those differences shape everything from aroma to bitterness, which is why one bottle might taste buttery and mellow while another finishes with a punchy, throat-catching pepperiness.
