Local olive producers Gibson’s Grove will have a hard time fitting their awards on their bottles, following success at the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show.
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Clare and Greg Gibson put four entries into the spring competition and received four silver medals for their products.
In the extra virgin olive oil category, the Gibson’s entered their Corrigiola and Paragon varieties and won silver for both.
In the table olive class, they also claimed silver with their Manzanilla and Ligurian Style olives.
“We knew they were good products but it’s reassuring to know,” Mr Gibson said.
“It’s a way for us of checking that we’re going the right way and are on the right track.”
The Gibsons have entered in the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show every year and just two years ago won the Champion Olive Product.
This seasoned success has been seen outside of the show circuit with their olive products being used by both Qantas and Singapore airlines on their in-flight menus.
In addition Gibson’s Groves will feature in an episode of James Reeson’s Alive and Cooking television program and the upcoming Hydro Majestic Hotel in the Blue Mountains has expressed interest in using their olives when they open later this year.
This season the Gibson’s harvested 80 tonnes of olives from their 2000 trees.
Mr Gibson said after some tough years, it felt good to yield a good harvest.
“It’s been a very good season after a couple of lean years,” he said.
“Last year we had a frost that came from Queensland and went all the way down to Tassie.
“The year before that we had a terrible heat wave that came in September/October right when we were flowering.”
The Gibsons first planted olive trees in 1996 and sell a variety olive oils, tapenades, table olives and dressings.