The charming Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl provided the picturesque backdrop for the prestigious 2023 SA Olive Awards, held on 8 September 2023. This year’s competition saw a remarkable turnout, with 82 entries from 32 dedicated olive oil producers. A distinguished panel of judges, both local and international, rigorously assessed each entry, ensuring a fair and thorough assessment.
The award categories included Delicate, Medium, and Intense styles of Extra Virgin Olive Oils (EVOOs), and the results were nothing short of impressive, showcasing the excellence of South African olive oil production. Winners emerged in the form of Gold Awards, Silver Awards, and Bronze Awards, making for exciting competition.
In total, 26 Gold, 28 Silver, and 14 Bronze medals were bestowed upon the deserving olive oil producers, a testament to their commitment to quality and craftsmanship. Notably, Mardouw Investments ZA (Pty) Ltd, located in the Swellendam Area, claimed the spotlight by securing five gold and one silver medal. De Rustica Estate (Pty) Ltd, situated in De Rust, was equally triumphant with an impressive five gold medals. Lions Creek Olive Estate, near Worcester, achieved recognition with two gold, two silver, and one bronze medal.
Richard Allen, the Chairman of the SA Olive Industry, expressed his admiration, stating, ” Once again, we congratulate all our winners. This year has been particularly challenging for our producers due to a poor harvest that saw considerably lower yields – and, by the way, this was experienced by all olive growing countries around the world this year. Added to this, there were other daily challenges such as loadshedding, so it’s even more commendable that our local Extra Virgin Olive Oil producers continue to deliver such amazing quality – the kind of quality that earns them the highest international accolades, here and around the world.”
SA Olive, the association representing the South African olive industry, takes immense pride in representing the nation’s olive producers and showcasing their top-quality EVOOs. The association extended its heartfelt thanks to all participants, judges, organizers, and sponsors – MORI-TEM and Pieralisi – for their invaluable support in making the event a resounding success.
