Kakariki Olives

Kakariki Olives, established in 2000 in Nelson's Moutere Hills, is a family-run olive grove now owned by Ray and Brenda Gregory. The grove was originally established by John and Helen Dunlop in 2000, and the Gregory family purchased it in March 2018 after leaving the corporate world. Though they had a background in the rural sector, neither Ray nor Brenda had experience growing olives before taking over—yet they brought with them a strong work ethic and a passion for crafting quality produce.

Situated in the warm, sunny Tasman region, the grove's 3,200 trees flourish in clay soils. Specialising in Tuscan varietals including Frantoio, Leccino, Pendalione, Picual and Piccoline, the business produces extra virgin olive oil through careful harvesting, pressing and blending. The family operates an on-site olive press, giving them full control over production from farm to table—olives are harvested and pressed within 24 hours, then blended to create their signature oils.

The quality of Kakariki Olives' production has been recognised through numerous awards. Their Mediterranean Blend earned gold and best in class at the 2019 New Zealand Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards, and went on to win a Gold Award at the 2020 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition in New York—one of the world's most prestigious olive oil competitions. The grove holds Olives New Zealand certification, guaranteeing their oil meets the highest international standards for extra virgin olive oil.

The oil is available through stockists across the South Island and throughout New Zealand, supplied to restaurants, cafes, retailers and private customers.