Media exposure

We are playing catch up with some media exposure.

The May issue of Woman and Home calls our tin a "must have that'll look great on display in your kitchen."

Terwyl die Julie uitgawe van Tuis tydskrif hou van ons 'treffende blik'. Ons ook!

The August issue of GQ Magazine says, "it is time you paid a visit to the down-to-earth Karoo town of Prince Albert, the real foodie capital of South-Africa." YES, come visit!

and we also got featured in House and Garden Gourmet Issue 2. "Perfect for salads or marinating your Karoo lamb chops," yes we agree!

Braai with us!

Lochner de Kock's secret braai recipe includes our oil. This makes us proud.

Another proudly South African competition that uses our product exclusively.

Proudly Prince Albert

Lately we get to see our lovely town on the TV every week as Kyknet screens Kokkedoor, shot in Prince Albert, on Thursday nights.

This new view has inspired us to share a bit more information on the town, for those unfamiliar with our little dorpie on the southern edge of the Great Karoo, nestling under the majestic Swartberg mountains.

Prince Albert was founded in 1762 on the loan farm De Queek Vallei with Zacharias De Beer as its first incumbent. Originally known as Albertsburg, when it obtained municipal status in 1845 it was renamed Prince Albert in honour of Queen Victoria's consort, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg.

Being on the high altitude of the central plateau of South Africa, the Great Karoo has a very low average winter temperature (17'C maximum) resulting in above average cold units per annum, which is good for both production volume and quality when you are in the olive industry. Summers are dry and warm (with highs of up to 40'C), with less moisture related diseases to the trees and fruit.

 

Kokkedoor is on Kyknet (DSTV channel 144) again tonight at 8pm - come pop in.

What's cooking good looking?

Proudly Prince Albert.

Our oils spotted on Kyknet's Kokkedoor. Contestants clearly enjoy cooking with our products, and that makes us proud. 

Catch Kokkedoor Thursday nights at 8pm on DSTV's Kyknet. 

Kokkedoor kook

Volgende week op Kokkedoor (spot the Prince Albert Olive Oil!)
Die oorblywende Kokkedoor-stryders het net-net begin mak raak, 'n bietjie rammetjie-uitnek selfs. Nie vir lank nie, want die Kokkedoor-slaghuis lewer wildsvleis op en beoordelaar Nic, 'n gesoute jagter, wys wat in 'n springbok se saaltjie steek. Jagters, met hul oog fyn ingestel op smaak, sit aan en die Karoo se eie Wildsvleiskoningin, Annetjie Reynolds, vel haar oordeel by die langtafel...

Kokkedoor & kie

Kyknet's Kokkedoor (shot in our lovely Prince Albert) is a 13 episode, Afrikaans reality cooking show currently being aired on Thursday nights.

We have been following the contestants closely and love seeing our yellow tin popping up on screen. We love all the traditional recipes and lekkernye.

Have you been watching? If so, what are your thoughts, who are you favourite contestants?

Follow us on twitter to see what we think and join the conversation!

Harvest is here.

The first oil of 2013 is from the Favalosa varietal - green apples on the nose and full mouth feel with lovely peppery notes!

#ff

Prince Albert Olives is a new arrival in the social media and blogging world, so if you are too (how did you find us here?) let me start with some Twitter 101:

On the social network twitter people do #ff, "Follow Friday" - on Fridays you compose (a) tweet(s) with the hashtag (# symbol used to mark keywords or topics, to categorize) #ff and include the twitter handle (the username selected and accompanying URL, like so: http://twitter.com/paolives) of someone you follow you want to suggest for your followers (people who have selected to receive your tweets on their timeline) to follow. 
Do you follow?

So for this Friday we tweeted:

Our first ever #FF (a #FEFF?) to @tenaciousdog thanks for our much praised and loved packaging ow.ly/iyUae

Tenacious Dogs are the guys who captured the charming Victorian characteristics of the town of Prince Albert in our packaging design, Jack Russell Design.

Feeling web-savvy so googled our packaging, on google images nogal! 
Apparently miss Erica Craig, designer, Photographer, Stylist j'adored it. 

Happy Friday (#hf?).

Where we should be

We heard Ile de Pain was the place to be in Knysna, so now we (well, our products) are there!

For other stockists of our products, visit our website.

Celebrity Endorsement

We thought we would brag a bit with some "celebrity endorsement"... 

Musician and actor Lochner de Kock says this of our oil:

"Ek en my persentjie van Natasha. Dadelik getoets...........skoon, lieflike varsgesnyde gras en omgeploegde aarde geur en smaak."

"Me and my present from Natasha. Tested it immediately - clean, lovely fresh cut grass and ploughed earth nose and taste"

Live long and well (oiled).

TIME magazine's Health and Family segment reports on research to find the reason why the Mediterranean diet is a well-known weapon in the fight against heart disease.

Their findings were conclusive, Olive Oil is the trick:
"The group that showed the least heart problems and lowest rate of heart disease deaths? Those who ate a Mediterranean diet high in extra-virgin olive oil. Coming in at a close second were participants who ate a Mediterranean diet high in nuts. Compared with those eating the low-fat diet, the extra-virgin-olive-oil group showed a 30% lower risk of having a heart attack, stroke or dying of heart disease after five years, while those consuming the Mediterranean diet with more nuts showed a 28% lower risk of these outcomes."

We've always known this, now it has been proven!

Read more HERE.

Uily McBeal

If you have ever had a close look at our packaging you might have noticed a little owl perched on the right of the logo. The owl was inspired by the Spotted Eagle Owl that lives next to our factory and the numerous (7 to be exact) owls that Essie our farm manager has successfully raised and rehabilitated over the last few years that we have had the farm.

In November last year the owl had babies and the wind blew two of them out of the nest. One was attacked by ants and its chances of survival seemed grim, but with Essie's expert care she pulled through. 

Two weeks later she was named Uily (Afrikaans for Owly) McBeal (remember the 90s TV lawyer?).

Uily soon became good friends with Sam and Carlos, Essie's two dogs. We believe she might think that she IS a dog. She regularly takes naps under the table: 

or on the chair:

 And on hot days she takes a dip in their water bowl - much to Sam's frustration! 

Since she also runs to the gate with the dogs every time someone comes to visit she has been renamed Buks- a more appropriate name for a guard owl. So meet Buks:

We hope to share more adventures of Buks the guard owl on this blog soon.

For the love of free stuff and family

As the Christmas decorations went down the back-to-school posters went up. Now the pink hearts, teddy bears and red decorations pop up everywhere in a clever attempt to market and sell love to us.

We’re not big on marketing gimmicks or Valentines (hence the fact that we hide away in small town Karoo) but, in the spirit of love and the ones we love we have decided to run a little competition in conjunction with our family members who make the amazing Badenhorst Family Wines.

We want you to show us some love, and in return we will give you some lovely products...

'What can I win?' I hear you ask

Well, we will give you 2 bottles of Secateurs (Red and Rosé) as well as a Badenhorst Family Red Blend (red and pink wine in theme with Valentines) along with two liters of Prince Albert Olive oil (in our new tins) and two pots of our amazing olives (one Manzanilla and one Kalamata).

What do you have to do to win that?

The classic "follow us" (BOTH @aabadenhorst and @PAolives) on twitter OR like both brands (AA Badenhorst Family Wines and Prince Albert Olives) on Facebook.

Tell us what you would cook for your loved one, using PAO oil, and which Badenhorst wine you would pair with it.

Either tweet “I will serve my love xxx prepared w @PAolives paired with @aabadenhorst’s xxx #valentines.”

Or write something like that on our walls.

*by doing this you give us permission to blog the hell out of your ideas if/when you win.

Winner will be announced on Monday 11 Feb in order for us to get the prize to you by 14 Feb.

Go ahead, spread the love.

x

super placing

Happy to announce that you can now buy our products at three prominent shops in Johannesburg.

Look out for us in:

Broadacres SuperSpar Cnr Cedar and Valley, Broadacres.             0115401518      

Pineslopes Spar, cnr Witkoppen and The Straight, Pineslopes, Fourways.             0114672448      

Pavilion Spar, 90 Degrees on Rivonia Shopping Centre, Cnr Rivonia and Kelvin Drive, Morningside, Sandton,            0118045974     

Happy days.

Is jy die groot kokkedoor?

Exciting things happening in our small Karoo town this year.

WHAT?

kykNET (DStv channel 144) is in production on a brand-new local reality cooking competition which will be broadcast on the Afrikaans satellite channel from April 2013.

The 13 episode Kokkedoor 2013 is searching for the best amateur chefs from all over South Africa's Afrikaans countryside - who will cook it out in "the iconic platteland dorpie of Prins Albert."

All recipes and challenges will revolve around so-called Afrikaans "legacy foods" - or nostalgia laden meals - classic Afrikaans history and "remember foods", updated but still with the same taste and historical legacy behind it.

A major twist: although contestants are racing against the clock, these foods and recipes which contestants will remember eating as it was made by grandmothers, aunts and mothers, take some time to actually prepare. 

Kokkedoor 2013's two judges are Hetta van Deventer-Terblanche, and chef Nic van Wyk. Both will choose their own group of 10 contestants who will battle the pots and pans and history in Prins Albert.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
For more information, email kokkedoor@mnet.co.za or call Paul Venter at 021 422 3452.

Arty

Some Friday olive art from non other than Picasso. So simple, so striking.

Have a good weekend!

Summer all year!

Welcome to 2013!

It is summer, the weather is good, the food markets (and gardens) have plenty of fresh things and you might still have some time off.

People have long since sought ways to preserve food and reap the benefits of the harvest all year long. In many of the countries – especially in the Mediterranean - one of the most natural ways to preserve food was, and still is, with olive oil.

You can preserve fish, mushrooms, lemons, sundried tomatoes, artichokes, sweet peppers, goats cheese and more in olive oil. Making your own pesto is also a great idea and it is this easy:

What you need:

·     1 cup fresh basil (about 25 basil leaves)

·     2 garlic cloves (peeled)

·     2 tablespoons pine nuts

·     2 tablespoons Prince Albert Olive Oil

·     ¼ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)

·     small jars for storing

What you do:

1.    Rinse and pat dry the basil leaves.

2.    Place in food processor: the basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

3.    Blend for 1 minute.

4.    Add grated Parmesan cheese (enough to make a paste)

5.    Carefully lift the lid of the blender and scrap the sides of the blender using a small rubber spatula.

6.    Store Pesto in small jars and freeze.

7.    Always store your finished Pesto sott'olio - meaning you will add an extra protective layer of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.