Owning an olive farm was something I’d often dreamt of but was also a far distant fantasy. I had a career - children, a restaurant and a catering business to look after. But as I drove through Andalucia and saw swathes of silvery green olives trees gliding across hills into the distance I found the landscape alluring.

As life shifted, and my work as a chef was slowing down, whilst scrolling through some rural properties in Spain one day I saw a small picture of a tiny, ramshackle farmhouse, up a mountainside that caught my imagination. Though I hadn't planned on purchasing an olive farm, my love for food and nature compelled me to do so. I was looking for something that would inspire me and help me leave my mark on the world of food as I didn’t feel ready to stop cooking or fully retire from work.

On seeing the ‘Finca’ I was immediately enchanted and totally sucked in by the landscape.  As we made our way up to it, the roads turned to dirt tracks and there were ancient olive farms encompassing the land as far as the eye could see. We seemed to be far from anywhere and yet within the most ancient and permanent civilisation. As we approached the Finca we saw that it is at the head of a valley and realised that it has a direct view out to the Mediterranean, right at the top of a large ravine called the ‘Font de la Gracia” filled with tumbledown olive terraces and pine trees. 

I had fallen for it and was now intrigued by the idea that I could restore some or all the trees and bring the farm slowly back to its full life.  We camped out there until we could make the house habitable, wandering through terraces full of overgrown Rosemary, gorse, thyme and fennel.

Our first harvest was, with the greatest gratitude, due to local friends and neighbours who piled in to help us and we began to see how things were or could be done. It seemed like so much more than just a business but a way of life and a connection to nature. We bartered olive oil for labour and were totally hands on, harvesting in our own groves, using and supporting our local press, making sure that our precious olives were not being blended or added to a commercial oil. We did the picking, pressing and packing ourselves that December and sent out or first beautiful, vibrant oil to friends and family as a Christmas present. 

Our second year was more challenging. We decided not to harvest because drought and adverse weather caused the crop to fail. As we continue to gain experience, we aim to improve each year, come to understand more about the trees, how to prune and care for them and respect the land. Our intention is to produce the most natural, delicious, high-quality liquid possible and soak up the history of people harvesting olives in the same way on the same plot for centuries.