Waitrose
will become the first UK supermarket to sell a refill pouch for olive oil, when it starts stocking Citizens of Soil’s; award winning, single estate extra virgin olive oil.
500ml bottle and refill pouch will be available in 155 Waitrose shops across the UK
Citizens of Soil was founded in 2020 with the aim of championing small-scale female farmers who prioritise soil health and biodiversity in their olive groves, and to offer consumers a refill option to cut down their carbon footprint.
The single estate olive oil which was especially selected for Waitrose is produced by Marianna and George on their 14 hectare olive grove in the village of Kalentzi in the Peloponnese region of Greece. When the olives are ripe the fruit undergoes cold extraction within 24 hours of being picked to preserve the highest quality of oil.
Customers will be able to buy glass bottles of the oil and can then refill it with pouches of the olive oil. The pouches have a carbon footprint that’s fifteen times lower than the glass bottles, because they’re lighter and therefore require less fuel to transport them. The glass bottles also require more packaging to transport them.
When customers have washed and dried their empty pouches they can drop them off at a soft plastic drop-off point at one of 295 Waitrose stores Waitrose shops, or send them back to Citizens of Soil by posting them in any postbox. The empty glass bottles can be recycled with other household recycling.
Tom Shiel, Oil Buyer for Waitrose said; “Citizens of Soil is a brilliant concept. They’re taking quality olive oil to a new level, and supporting small growers, while offering a more sustainable packaging option.”
Marianna Devetzoglou, the producer, said: “Every drop of our olive oil is made with pure love, passion and commitment. We literally pour our souls into it. The way I see it, through this olive oil, we are sharing our family table with yours, as one big family.
“This particular extra virgin olive oil is like a fresh herb garden. You get those bright notes of mint, basil, and oregano, but also sweeter notes such as apple.”
Sarah Vachon, co-founder of Citizens of Soil, said:; “The opportunity to bring our award winning, single estate extra virgin olive oil from Marianna’s groves in the Peloponnese to Waitrose shelves in the UK is extremely exciting. We can’t wait for foodies and new adopters to try our small batch olive oil as part of their Summer menus.”
“We’re here to champion producers like Marianna and support all the hard work the Manginas family did to farm their groves in a regenerative way working in harmony with nature and creating an end-product that’s flavourful and nutritious.”
