Prima Mensa, a love story... (I)

Miguel — you may remember him — is the grower who represents the 4th generation of an olive-farming family you'll know by the name of Olivar de San Miguel.

Yes, it's thanks to him that we have Arraigo, whose extraordinary flavour and quality have made it an unprecedented success…

When I first met Miguel, he took me out to his olive grove — to a particular spot he's incredibly proud of. And he said:

– Julio, the oil that comes from these olives is something else. Every year I handpick a selection, right when the olives start to turn — when they're losing their green but haven't gone black yet. That's what my family and friends use at home.
– But why, Migue? Why don't you make more of it?
– Because if you harvest that early, you're lucky to get 8% yield — almost two-thirds less oil than if you wait until they're black. Nobody pays what this oil is actually worth…

And there I stood, completely gobsmacked. Miguel looked at me, saw it on my face, and said — Want to take a small bottle home? To which I replied, somewhere between stunned and delighted… Seriously?!

The drive home felt endless. I had that little glass bottle — no label, nothing — sitting on the passenger seat. I kept glancing at it like a child who'd just found buried treasure…

The moment I got home, I grabbed a small plate, a chunk of bread, and sat down at the kitchen table. I picked up the little glass bottle and opened it carefully. I breathed in slowly… A rush of scents from the olive grove filled the air — it was almost as if I'd cracked open a fresh olive right there, in my own kitchen…

Almost trembling, I poured a little oil. It fell like a cream, a deep, vivid green. I tore off a small piece of bread and dipped it until it was completely soaked…

Honestly, I wouldn't know where to begin to describe everything I felt in that moment…

All I know is that I kept pouring what I was already sure was liquid gold, dipping piece after piece. And each time, new sensations kept coming. It was as if, with every bite, the flavour just kept building and building, endlessly.

So I called Miguel — Migue, as his closest friends and family call him — and I said: Migue, the world needs to know about this oil…

And here I am, a year and three months later, making that dream a reality — mine, and Migue's, and the dream of four generations of olive growers… That this oil should travel from the grove straight to your table, simply and directly, just as it has within the family for over 100 years. Only now, that family is a little bigger 🙂

Next week I'll tell you the rest of the story — how we tended to every last detail to bring this unique oil to your table, just as it arrived at mine that day. Every obstacle we had to overcome, and all the care we put into every step of the journey.

Click here to read part two…