You might know Spain and Greece as famous olive oil hotspots, but how about Lincolnshire?
Thanks to a pioneering Lincolnshire business, the county has seen the first harvest from what is believed to be the world’s most northerly commercial olive grove.
The English Olive Co., based near Spalding, has taken in its first olives from a 10-hectare grove planted in 2024 and is now processing them through the UK’s first on-farm olive press and bottling line.
For over 250 years the Hoyles family have been farming in the Lincolnshire Fens, growing a range of produce, and after switching to the more unusual crop, it is now on track to produce the first commercially pressed English olive oil.
Although the size of the fruit is smaller than the traditional growing areas of the Mediterranean, the company believes the taste of its 2025 crop hits the mark.
While this first limited volume of English olive oil has already sold out, the next batch is expected in November 2026. As the trees grow and increase maturity each year, olive numbers, and volumes, should also increase year on year.
And there are also plans to open for public tours and tastings in the future, as the English Olive Grove develops.
For more information, visit www.englisholive.co.uk
For tourist information about visiting the county, see www.visitlincolnshire.com
