The Hat's Olive Tap has been able to avoid price increases as olive oil prices have risen over the past few years. (Ross Lavigne/CHAT News)

By Jesse Gill

Medicine Hat grocer avoids olive oil cost increase despite global demand

Jun 18, 2024 | 5:21 PM

A specialized Medicine Hat grocer has been able to keep its olive oil prices the same despite a growth in global demand for the liquid.

Olive oil is an item that has steadily increased in price at grocery stores over the last three years.

National average pricing hasn’t been under $7 per litre since March 2021, according to Statistics Canada. Numbers from this April had the average olive oil cost at $16.32 per litre.

Carmen Lambert, owner-operator of The Hat’s Olive Tap believes this trend will continue for another couple of years, because of poor harvests in Spain, the world’s largest producer to most North American markets.

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“That is impacting a lot of the bigger box stores,” Lambert said.

“For us, because we are sourced through direct independent farmers, we have relationships with both hemispheres of the world,” she added.

“We’re weathering the storm in a better way because of those relationships and having southern hemisphere crops to be supplied with.”

Lambert adds she has been able to keep her pricing on their ultra premium certified extra virgin olive oils the same for the past four years.

“I’m really trying not to pass our increases on, with us having a supplier that sources from both North and Southern Hemisphere, we’re following the freshest crush always,” Lambert said.

“Even though we have depleted inventory from our European partners, we’re not completely down and out like a lot of the other market is going to feel,” she added.

“We’re not into that big commodities playing field like big box stores are.”

Another concern for consumers, Lambert said is cutting and mixing and blending of olive oil with other products.

“Knowing how much cutting and adulteration happens out there without a shortage, it’s really scary right now to know what exactly is in that bottle if they’re not all being lab tested.”

Lambert says they have seen new customers daily.

“I feel that people, like the consumers, are demanding more awareness in what they’re consuming and they’re willing to come in and give us a try and learn more about what sets our product apart,” Lambert said.

“You’re getting verified lab tested, where that’s not always the case off other store shelves, which has been the case since we opened and far before that, ” she added.

“It also has to pass an organoleptic tasting panel of nine people who’ve apprenticed tasting for a minimum of two years. People, through tasting and learning what the defects in olive oil are, have to all agree that there’s no signs of defect in order for it to be extra virgin and again on our shelf.”