Olive oil brand The Gay Farmer has claimed a grocery first, securing the first national supermarket listing for a UK queer-owned/queer-branded food player.
Waitrose will merchandise The Gay Farmer’s organic extra virgin olive oil (rsp: £22/500ml) in 185 stores from 10 August.
It marks the brand’s first entry into a major high street supermarket. It was previously stocked in independent retailers, farm shops and delis across the UK.
The listing also represented a milestone for LGBTQ+ representation in the food and farming sectors, where “queer founders have long been under-represented”, The Gay Farmer said.
The brand was founded by Mark Dyer in 2008 after his first harvest on his mother’s smallholding in Moratalla, Murcia. Its single-estate oils are pressed within three to four hours of harvesting at organic mills in Spain, and are certified organic by the Soil Association and the European Union.
Dyer is a qualified olive oil sommelier, having trained at the Olive Oil Times Education Lab.
“Visibility on the shelves of one of the UK’s most-loved supermarkets is incredibly significant: a major retailer, like Waitrose, supporting LGBTQ+ businesses with year-round commercial opportunities is a big step forward,” he said.
“Real inclusion is about creating pathways for diverse businesses to grow and compete and helping build an industry that reflects the communities it serves,” Dyer added.
Charlotte Kissane, oil buyer at Waitrose, said: “We’re delighted to be launching The Gay Farmer’s premium oil range – a brand centred on visibility, sustainability, and organic farming.
“They offer high-quality extra virgin olive oil with a fantastic flavour profile, bringing true artisanal quality to the table that we know our food-loving customers will enjoy using in their kitchens every day.”
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