The Olivey Interview
By Hayley Birch
We spoke to Nick Earle, an Olive Distribution Officer (he delivers olives – in a van) about olives and Olive Overload. Nick Earle works for the Real Olive Company, based in Bristol.
What kind of olives do you deliver Mr Distributor?
I deliver a wide range of olives from across the world.
And where is the most peculiar place you’ve ever delivered an olive?
I’m going back a few years now, but when Ghandi ordered some olives for a party he was throwing in Florida we all raised an eyebrow.
So you must be quite an expert by now. What would you recommend?
Well, that depends very much on how far you have developed your taste. The classic Green Mammoth olive from Greece is juicy with a crisp finish, probably the olive for the beginner. As your olive eating skills increase you may want to take on bigger challenges. I suggest moving on to the creamy melt-in-the-mouth tones of the Italian Nochellara, before taking on the hard edged zest of the Egyptian Colossal. By this stage you will have mastered the green olive, and be ready to move onto the black, a great achievement. Skip the simple Kalamata and move straight to Italian Aragon, a sweet olive with an amazingly smooth texture. Complete your journey with the contrasting nutty, peppery character of the French Nicoise, and perhaps round off with a fragrant Portugese Violet olive.
Which do you reckon are the more popular – green ones or black ones?
On meeting someone you can usually tell their preference. In the industry we say that a day without olives is like a day without sunshine, and you’ll notice that someone who doesn’t like olives at all often has remarkably pale skin. Those that prefer green ones are friendly and well-rounded, probably the average person you see in the street. Black lovers you see more rarely due to their busy schedules. In answer to your question: green.
And finally, have you reached Olive Overload (OO) yet? (OO: scientific term for the point at which the appetite of an olivephile for olives reaches a plateau).
OO is obviously a condition we take very seriously, as it can ruin your career. Even the best of us have fallen victim to OO - it’s tragic to watch that happen. We use various techniques to stay fit, most notably creating new flavours, so that we are constantly challenged. I’m currently working on liking the smoked black olive stuffed with red hot chilli and marinated in liquorice. I’ve had one every day for the last two years and I still don’t like them. Having never had an appetite for them I can’t reach the plateau, and thus OO. However, as with all olives, my taste buds will one day adapt, and that’s when I’ll have to start taking on something new.
What kind of olives do you deliver Mr Distributor?
I deliver a wide range of olives from across the world.
And where is the most peculiar place you’ve ever delivered an olive?
I’m going back a few years now, but when Ghandi ordered some olives for a party he was throwing in Florida we all raised an eyebrow.
So you must be quite an expert by now. What would you recommend?
Well, that depends very much on how far you have developed your taste. The classic Green Mammoth olive from Greece is juicy with a crisp finish, probably the olive for the beginner. As your olive eating skills increase you may want to take on bigger challenges. I suggest moving on to the creamy melt-in-the-mouth tones of the Italian Nochellara, before taking on the hard edged zest of the Egyptian Colossal. By this stage you will have mastered the green olive, and be ready to move onto the black, a great achievement. Skip the simple Kalamata and move straight to Italian Aragon, a sweet olive with an amazingly smooth texture. Complete your journey with the contrasting nutty, peppery character of the French Nicoise, and perhaps round off with a fragrant Portugese Violet olive.
Which do you reckon are the more popular – green ones or black ones?
On meeting someone you can usually tell their preference. In the industry we say that a day without olives is like a day without sunshine, and you’ll notice that someone who doesn’t like olives at all often has remarkably pale skin. Those that prefer green ones are friendly and well-rounded, probably the average person you see in the street. Black lovers you see more rarely due to their busy schedules. In answer to your question: green.
And finally, have you reached Olive Overload (OO) yet? (OO: scientific term for the point at which the appetite of an olivephile for olives reaches a plateau).
OO is obviously a condition we take very seriously, as it can ruin your career. Even the best of us have fallen victim to OO - it’s tragic to watch that happen. We use various techniques to stay fit, most notably creating new flavours, so that we are constantly challenged. I’m currently working on liking the smoked black olive stuffed with red hot chilli and marinated in liquorice. I’ve had one every day for the last two years and I still don’t like them. Having never had an appetite for them I can’t reach the plateau, and thus OO. However, as with all olives, my taste buds will one day adapt, and that’s when I’ll have to start taking on something new.
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