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Help or Advice >> Fruit, Nuts and vegetables >> Olives to the cooperation or self-distribution?
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Message started by Maybe on Aug 13th, 2015 at 9:38am

Title: Olives to the cooperation or self-distribution?
Post by Maybe on Aug 13th, 2015 at 9:38am
Hello,
I'm new on the forum, living in the Netherlands and orientating on living in Tortosa area.
Can anyone tell me whether there is a big financial difference in taking your olives to the cooperation of try and distribute  the oil yourself? Any experience anyone?

Thanks,
Bianca

Title: Re: Olives to the cooperation or self-distribution?
Post by Betty_Swollox on Aug 13th, 2015 at 2:04pm
Hi Bianca
Good to hear from a n ew voice to the Forum.
We have been here for 5 years and while we have a considerable amount of our olives pressed for us into oil and we can get it to the UK, we do not have the outlets necessary to sell it when it gets there.
We sell to our holidaymaker guests but the the biggest problem is selling abroad.
Our oil is amazing, organic and extra virgin albeit without certification or a label that says it is.
The rest of our olives we sell to Sol D'Ebre in Tortosa where we are members and they give a good price.
Stay in touch and perhaps we can help you with going forward with your ideas.
Best wishes,
Simon 677822413

Title: Re: Olives to the cooperation or self-distribution?
Post by John on Aug 13th, 2015 at 2:48pm
In my experience, producing the oil itself is no easy task. Then by the time you have bought bottles, labels, and transport it won't be cheap to produce. then you have the problem of finding a distributor.

it's not as easy as people think. Everyone comes here and thinks they will make their own and make a fortune.

Sadly, not. and those who try charge too much I find. Having recently been back to the UK, I also see it in the supermarkets there at roughly the same price as in the supermarkets here. Surprising when you tak ethe transport costs into account and ask why it's so expensive here too.


John.

Title: Re: Olives to the cooperation or self-distribution?
Post by JamJarChris on Aug 14th, 2015 at 8:40am
Hi Bianca

My 2 cents worth.

In a typical year - it takes 5-7kg of olives to make a litre of  oil, depending on the mill and the method. It will cost you approximately €1 per litre to have it made into oil. 

Most oil mills require that you bring in a minimum of 400/500 kg per pressing.

We have sold our oil in the UK for between £10 and £15 per litre, but transport can be another £2 per litre, averaged out.

If you sell your olives to the co-operativa you will receive between 25c and 35c per kilo.

It is nice work picking olives for oil and the end product is great - so great in fact that now we just make oil for ourselves, and give away a little to friends. We press our oil using the old method - stone ground and cold pressed. There is nothing to compare with in the UK market.

Hope that helps

Title: Re: Olives to the cooperation or self-distribution?
Post by Maybe on Aug 14th, 2015 at 4:01pm
Thank you all for the info!

Title: Re: Olives to the cooperation or self-distribution?
Post by Pondgirl on Aug 26th, 2015 at 6:00pm
We have our olives pressed and the oil bottled by Sol d'Ebre and it is certificated EVO with the relevant EU food labelling requirements. We sell it in the UK to restaurants, pubs etc and by word of mouth.

Title: Re: Olives to the cooperation or self-distribution?
Post by Norm on Aug 27th, 2015 at 1:22pm
You don't want another 150 olives trees to tend do you Pondgirl  ;)

Title: Re: Olives to the cooperation or self-distribution?
Post by El_Alto on Aug 27th, 2015 at 5:20pm

JamJarChris wrote on Aug 14th, 2015 at 8:40am:
.... now we just make oil for ourselves, and give away a little to friends. We press our oil using the old method - stone ground and cold pressed. ...


Hi JamJarChris,

So I understand you press a small amount of olives yourself? I have some olive trees on the land and I would love to produce oil on a very small scale (say 20 liters or so). But what kind of equipment do you use to make your home-made oil?

Mark

Title: Re: Olives to the cooperation or self-distribution?
Post by Bigyin on Sep 4th, 2015 at 6:08pm
Google something like "Home Olive Press" and you'll find everything from a glorified mincer to electric models mostly made in China.  By the time you've bought the kit you'd be better off just buying oil in the supermarket.  Spain isn't as romantic as many people think :-)

Title: Re: Olives to the cooperation or self-distribution?
Post by El_Alto on Sep 4th, 2015 at 9:50pm
Hi Bigyin,

Sorry to hear about your lack of romance in Spain ;). I just asked someone (who seems to have experience producing oil on a small scale for fun) what machines he is using. Googling chinese machines won't give me that answer.

Mark

Title: Re: Olives to the cooperation or self-distribution?
Post by Bigyin on Sep 4th, 2015 at 10:08pm
Just trying to be helpful.  Sorry it's not the answer you were looking for.

Title: Re: Olives to the cooperation or self-distribution?
Post by JamJarChris on Sep 7th, 2015 at 8:22am
Sorry Mark - but we do not make oil ourselves although I would like to someday.

There is someone locally (Camarles/Aldea) who runs a small mill pressing about 150kg at a time, but he has mentioned that he does not think he will be running it this year as there are so few olives on the trees.

I can PM you his number if you wish.

Title: Re: Olives to the cooperation or self-distribution?
Post by El_Alto on Sep 8th, 2015 at 10:22am
Hi JamJarChris,

Thanks for the info. I'm looking for some low-tech equipment to make oil myself (something like a big blender and a small press). I know there exist small press systems and also there is a lot home-build stuff like in this video: https://youtu.be/jhdOfbaz3PM

If anyone knows where to buy a small press like this guy have, please let me know.

Mark

Title: Re: Olives to the cooperation or self-distribution?
Post by Teflon on Aug 27th, 2016 at 10:06pm

JamJarChris wrote on Aug 14th, 2015 at 8:40am:
We press our oil using the old method - stone ground and cold pressed.


Hi, It would be great if you can give me some info on where I can get this done when the harvest is due  :)

Title: Re: Olives to the cooperation or self-distribution?
Post by Teflon on Aug 27th, 2016 at 10:07pm

JamJarChris wrote on Sep 7th, 2015 at 8:22am:


There is someone locally (Camarles/Aldea) who runs a small mill pressing about 150kg at a time, but he has mentioned that he does not think he will be running it this year as there are so few olives on the trees.

I can PM you his number if you wish.


JamJarChris, can you pm me the number of this guy? Maybe he will be running the mill this year...

Title: Re: Olives to the cooperation or self-distribution?
Post by Teflon on Aug 27th, 2016 at 10:09pm

El_Alto wrote on Sep 8th, 2015 at 10:22am:
I'm looking for some low-tech equipment to make oil myself....

Mark


Hey Mark, Id like to know if you got anywhere on this project? Sounds real interesting.
Thanks, TefLon

Title: Re: Olives to the cooperation or self-distribution?
Post by El_Alto on Aug 27th, 2016 at 11:25pm
Hi Teflon,

Not really. The process itself is not complex, but the machines need to be pretty strong. Basically you need a big blender to make olive-pulp and a strong press to separate the fluids out of the pulp. (and then separate the fluid into water and oil, wich is the easy part).

I hoped to find the big blender and small press but no luck so far. I'm thinking of building the machines myself but so many project and so little time ;-)

Mark

Title: Re: Olives to the cooperation or self-distribution?
Post by Teflon on Aug 27th, 2016 at 11:38pm
Ok, let me know if you get anywhere.

I know what you mean about too many projects - for me it's mañana mañana  ;)

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