Waitrose has ramped up its olive oil offering in a bid to tap into growing demand for products made with sustainably sourced, premium ingredients.
The retailer has expanded its own-label oil range with six new lines: Avocado Oil (rsp: £4/250ml), Extra Virgin Olive Oil Large Can (rsp: £15/2ltr), Extra Virgin Olive Oil Squeezy Bottle (rsp: £5/500ml), Air Fryer Oil Spray (rsp: £2.20/200ml), Olive Oil Spray (rsp: £2.60/200ml) and Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray (rsp: £2.80/200ml).
The oils have launched in around 195 stores and will be sold at a discounted introductory price until 16 September.
Waitrose has also reformulated its Garlic Infused Olive Oil, switching the oil base from a blend to 100% extra virgin olive oil.
Shoppers were becoming “increasingly discerning about the products they cook with and drizzle over their food”, said Waitrose oil buyer Charlotte Kissane.
“We’re placing a huge focus on expanding our olive oil offering this year, giving our food lovers access to high-quality oil for every cooking style and budget,” she told The Grocer.
As part of its push into premium oils, Waitrose has also listed four upmarket olive oil lines from Gordon Ramsay’s Krude, Ottolenghi and The Gay Farmer.
The move marks Krude’s first grocery listing since the brand launched in May. Its Cooking Oil (rsp: £16/500ml) and Finishing Oil (rsp: £22/500ml) are available now in around 300 Waitrose stores nationwide.
“We’re thrilled to be the first supermarket to bring Gordon Ramsay’s Krude oil to our shelves,” said Kissane. “Our food-loving shoppers are constantly looking for premium, restaurant-quality ingredients to elevate their home cooking.”
Last week, Ottolenghi and Citizens of Soil unveiled a co-branded extra virgin olive oil (rsp: £24/500ml), which has launched in 195 Waitrose stores. The Gay Farmer, meanwhile, secured the first national supermarket listing for a UK queer-owned and queer-branded food player. Its extra virgin olive oil has hit shelves in 185 stores (rsp: £22/500ml).
The branded lines all boast strong sustainability credentials. Krude uses lightweight metal packaging for a “more practical and considered approach to sustainability”, while Citizens of Soil works with independent family growers across the Mediterranean committed to regenerative farming.
Meanwhile, The Gay Farmer’s extra virgin olive oil is produced using sustainable farming methods at a single estate in Zaragoza, Spain.
Sustainability and ethical sourcing were driving shoppers’ choices in oils “like never before”, Kissane added.
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