The Journey : In the early 90s, Giles and Annie Henschel embarked on a year-long adventure that would be the inspiration for Olives Et Al. Travelling on motorbikes through the Mediterranean, the Middle East and North Africa, they fell in love with the food they ate along the way. They couldn’t gather many souvenirs, being on bikes, but did gather recipes; hoping to recapture the essence of our experiences by recreating at home the foods they had enjoyed.
Disappointment: On their return, England proved a little disappointing as the search for good quality, basic ingredients was fruitless. Particularly frustrating at this time, was the lack of Olives. Throughout the trip, they enjoyed a vast array of delicious Olives but those available at home lacked flavour, texture and aroma.
The Epiphany: Using all the knowledge they’d collected during their travels, they launched Olives Et Al in 1993 to satisfy their own culinary cravings and to share quality Olives with a wider audience. Olives Et Al began producing Marinated Olives using some of those “souvenir” recipes and authentic methods and they were beyond well received by everyone!
Present day: Over time, the range of products has grown. Over 26 years young and we are still here, producing food which tastes and looks just the way it should without using artificial colours, flavourings or preservatives. We begin with the finest ingredients, use original recipes (many handed down through the generations), add a bucket of passion and finish with minimal and elegant packaging to make some of the best food you are ever likely to taste. One thing you can be assured of is that quality and authenticity will never be compromised for the sake of production. There are now a bunch of us Oliveers busy Oliveering away and we all love what we do. We hope you enjoy!
