Lincolnshire has taken an unexpected step into Mediterranean territory as The English Olive Co., based near Spalding, completes its first commercial olive grove harvest. The 10-hectare site, planted in 2024, has now produced the olives that will become the UK’s first commercially pressed English olive oil, processed through an on-farm press and bottling line.
The inaugural harvest was small, shaped by recent frosts, winds and rain, though the fruit developed well through a warm 2025. The olives reached a blushed green ripeness thanks to summer conditions extending into October. This early crop is limited in volume but marks a milestone for the project, proving that olive trees can grow and fruit reliably on open farmland in the UK.
The olive venture is part of the Hoyles family’s wider plan to adapt to shifting weather patterns and pressure on traditional crops. Warmer, drier conditions in recent seasons prompted the search for new varieties better suited to a changing climate. Olives offered an opportunity to diversify while allowing the family to process, brand and market a product independently.
The farm forms part of a 250-year legacy in the Fens, where the wider operation grows crops such as wheat, potatoes, peas, mustard and sugar beet, supported by digital farming tools, renewable energy installations and water-efficient systems. The olive grove follows the same sustainability focus, using low-input practices, drip irrigation and no insecticides or fungicides.
As the trees mature each year, production is expected to increase, with ambitions to expand English-grown olive products for consumers seeking more local, sustainably produced food. With the 2025 harvest now pressed, the first bottles of English olive oil are expected to be released in limited quantities, marking a notable first for British agriculture.
Image credit: Stock.adobe.com/caftor
