Olives & Us
For over 250 years the Hoyles family have been farming in the Lincolnshire Fens, growing a range of crops on the naturally fertile reclaimed silt soils. We once supplied the major city wholesale markets with apples & pears, daffodil & tulip stems, potatoes, and local merchants with oats, wheat and mustard seed.
Today the family grows a range of fresh vegetables including potatoes and peas for local co-operatives for the supermarkets, and also sugarbeet for Silver Spoon British Sugar, wheat seed, and are still growing mustard seed for Colman’s five generations later. Our olive grove marks a new chapter, and fruit tree farming returns to our land for the first time since 1923. It is the UK’s first commercial olive grove and the most northern commercial olive grove in the world.
Our olive grove; born and bred in Lincolnshire
As featured on BBC Countryfile
The UK’s first
commercial olive grove
The worlds most northernly commercial olive grove
Our first ever English Olive Oil
production in December 2025
We have seen changes in the weather, with the UK getting warmer. New crops are now viable for commercial production, including vines for English wine.
When David spent time living and working in Portugal and Spain, he saw how different crops grow and how farmers adapt to their climate. That experience pushed us to think about which crops may suit a warmer UK climate and the silt soils of The Fens.
Olive production is our answer to climate change in the UK.
The idea of producing UK olive oil began in 2019. We have spent the years since assessing the most suitable olive tree varieties across Europe, studying how olive trees grow and develop, and testing the commercial potential of making, bottling and selling our own English Olive Oil.
In 2023 the project moved forward. We secured plant import licences, placed orders for trees and machinery, and invested in infrastructure. In Spring 2024 we planted the UK’s first commercial olive grove. It is also the worlds most northerly olive grove. The site has eighteen thousand olive trees.
The olive grove is sustainably managed; with no insecticides and no fungicides used. Water efficient drip fertigation delivers water and nutrients directly to each tree.
Time will tell us how successful The English Olive Co will be, but we will continue to give the olive trees the best chance of growing and yielding olives that we can. Cared for by a brilliant team on the farm, advise from local and overseas colleagues, and using technology with precision farming techniques.
Our first olive press took place in December 2025, and a limited quantity of the very first English Olive Oil will be exclusively for sale on this website, while stock lasts.
Health
Olives are the original superfood. Olives have been grown and eaten in the Mediterranean for centuries, and are associated with healthy living and healthy diets. They are rich in Vitamin E, and also contain Vitamin A, Copper, Calcium and Iron. An olive contains around 7 calories, and has a ‘negative calorie load’, which means you burn more calories digesting an olive than you gain from eating one!
Olive oil is the most consumed oil in the world, with the Spanish and the Greeks consuming over 14L of olive oil per person each year. UK consumption of olive oil is rising, but it is still less than 1L per person each year.
Top 5 health benefits;
1. Rich in antioxidants
Olives are rich in plant compounds called polyphenols which have effective antioxidant properties. The beneficial effects of these compounds include reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as atherosclerosis and cancer.
2. Are anti-inflammatory
One of the polyphenols in olives is called oleocanthal. This compound appears to share the same pharmacological activity as ibuprofen, and acts as a natural anti-inflammatory. Interestingly, this useful property has been associated with positive changes in those with rheumatoid arthritis.
3. Supports heart health
Although high in fat, the majority is a beneficial mono-saturated variety called oleic acid. This fatty acid is associated with reduced risk of heart disease. Oleic acid may help in this way by regulating cholesterol balance and reducing blood pressure.
4. Healthy bones
Studies suggest plant compounds in olives helps prevent bone loss, and may help prevent osteoporosis. Those that follow a Mediterranean diet do also appear to have a lower incidence of fracture.
5. Vitamin E and immune system
Olives are rich in vitamin E, which can improve skin health and help your immune system. By consuming such foods you are adding beneficial bacteria and enzymes to your intestinal flora, which increases the health of your gut microbiome and digestive system, and may enhance your immune function.