Media exposure is helping to make speciality oils lucrative brand extensions Celebrity chefs have raised the profile of speciality oils to the point where consumers who enjoy cooking have no qualms about how much they spend on them. They are now, thanks to television, a must have in many kitchens. Consumers demand authenticity and convenience from their speciality oils, a category which is valued at £7.5m and growing at 11.5% year on year. Olive oil brand Filippo Berio now has three flavoured extra virgin olive oils. A strong brand, it says, will bring further growth to the category. Head of its UK operation Walter Zanre says: "We should have done it sooner. Infusions are an obvious brand extension. Basil and garlic are classic additions while chilli is right for pizza." Unilever's Bertolli is keeping a weather eye on the category. Culinary category manager Mike Miller says it is a small area, but one to watch. Bertolli doesn't yet have flavoured oils in its repertoire, but it does have a non filtered extra virgin olive oil variant which is growing in popularity. ACNielsen's new product monitor shows Princes has achieved almost £19k in average four weekly sales since the November launch of its International Collection of flavoured oils aimed at the more adventurous user. A smaller niche player is L'Aquila. Its Truffoil white truffle condiment is an extra virgin olive oil infused with rare white winter truffles. Although available at a pricey £8-£12 for 55ml, it will keep for 12 months after opening. L'Aquila has also developed a cheaper, light version which retails at £4 for 100ml. French producer Belazu has ditched its restaurant exclusive tag to sit on Sainsbury's Special Selection fixtures. Belazu includes infused herb and chilli oils and first pressed toasted nut oils, such as pumpkin seed and walnut, in its range of authentic Mediterranean products. Nut and seed oils make up a substantial part of organic specialist Meridian Foods' range. Organic toasted and unrefined sesame oil, unrefined hazelnut and walnut oils retail between £2.19 for 250ml to £3.49 for 500ml. Carbonell UK's has distributed premium oils in the UK for 20 years while its Spanish parent Carbonell de Cordoba's celebrates its 135th anniversary, and a special edition organic extra virgin olive oil has been produced to mark both occasions. Called 1866, Carbonell UK says it has shown a healthy increase in the first quarter of this year of more than 40% because of new listings and increased distribution. Twineham Grange Farms is attracting food on the move outlets with mini bottles of Italian extra virgin olive oil to be sold alongside salads. The six flavours are original, chilli, basil, balsamic, truffle and lemon. General manager Mark Humphrey says the product could be offered at an rsp of 35p, allowing 20% profit a bottle. {{FOCUS SPECIALS }}