Olive oil prices have gone wild, but we've found a Great Value supermarket bottle
Some big-brand extra virgin olive oils have nearly quadrupled in price in the past two years, our pricing research shows.
Extreme weather – including floods, storms, droughts and the resulting wildfires – has caused poor harvests, and disease has also impacted some olive groves. This has led to shortages and higher prices for olive oil.
But our expert taste test has shown that you can still nab a top-notch olive oil for less.
We asked a panel of four experts to blind-taste and rate a selection of supermarket own label and branded extra virgin olive oils, and found that it pays to choose carefully. Some pricier options disappointed, while others proved their worth.
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Branded olive oils more than double in cost
Big-brand extra virgin olive oil blends from the likes of Napolina and Filippo Berio have seen some of the most significant price increases in the past two years.
A 500ml bottle of Napolina extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) was £2.50 at Morrisons and Tesco on 16 May 2021. On the same day three years later, the same bottle was £7.95, more than three times as much.
At Ocado, the price for the same product increased from £2.50 to £9.50 over the same time period, almost four times as much.
At Asda, Filippo Berio EVOO, 500ml more than doubled in price from £2.50 to £6.50 – that's an increase of 160%.
Supermarket olive oil price rises
Own-brand olive oils aren't immune to price jumps either, though they aren't quite as dramatic.
We compared today's prices for the extra virgin olive oils we tested to the prices for the same products from our previous test in 2022 and found the average price increase was 57%, though some have increased by up to 88%.
Our experts were, however, impressed with the quality of some of the premium supermarket brand oils in our 2024 test. These tended to be region-specific rather than blended, so have a distinctive flavour. If you choose wisely here you will at least get a great EVOO for your money.
| Produkt | 2022 price | 2024 price | Percentage price increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morrisons The Best Unfiltered Extra Virgin Olive Oil 500ml | £4 | £7.50 | 88% |
| Morrisons The Best Spanish Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil 500ml | £4 | £7.00 | 75% |
| Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Greek Kalamata Extra Virgin Olive Oil 500ml | £5 | £8.40 | 68% |
| Tesco Finest Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oil 500ml | £6.50 | £9.95 | 53% |
| Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Toscano Extra Virgin Olive Oil 500ml | £6.50 | £9.95 | 53% |
| Aldi Specially Selected Terra Di Bari Castel Del Monte Extra Virgin Olive Oil 500ml | £3.79 | £5.19* | 37% |
| Waitrose No.1 Chianti Classico 500ml | £12 | £15 | 25% |
Includes all extra virgin olive oils previously tested in 2022, excluding those that are no longer available. Products ordered from highest to lowest percentage price increase. 2022 prices correct as of 8 June 2022. 2024 prices correct as of 10 June 2024. Aldi's EVOO was £4.79 when we tested it in April 2024, but has crept up in price twice since.
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Where to find the best value extra virgin olive oil
If you're after a great-tasting extra virgin olive oil for not much more than a fiver, Aldi's budget-friendly bottle – Aldi Specially Selected Terra Di Bari Castel Del Monte Extra Virgin Olive Oil, £5.19 for 500ml – is our Great Value pick.
While it didn't quite score highly enough to be one of our Best Buys, our experts thought it was a great cheaper alternative, describing it as 'peppery and pungent' with an intense spice and bitterness.
Available from Aldi.
See our full test results, including which top-scoring bottles are our Best Buys, in our guide to the best extra virgin olive oils.
How to save money on olive oil
1) Consider a supermarket version
You might think that sticking with a well-known brand is a safe choice, but opting for an own label could get you more bang for your buck.
Our experts said they were pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of the supermarket own labels they tasted, noting the best ones had an impressive flavour profile that you would expect from a more expensive oil.
2) Don't be lured in by meaningless marketing jargon
Our experts told us that it's not worth paying more for 'cold pressed' or 'first pressed' extra virgin olive oil. These terms are meaningless as they apply to all extra virgin olive oils (they are essential qualification criteria for an oil to be called extra virgin).
Early harvest olive oils are worth keeping an eye out for though. These are extracted from young, green olives which gives them an astringent, peppery flavour, and they tend to contain more antioxidants than regular olive oil.
3) Don't use premium olive oil for everyday cooking
Our experts recommend using a cheaper, blended olive oil for everyday cooking tasks, such as roasting vegetables.
Save your highest-quality extra virgin olive oil for dipping, drizzling and dressing dishes, where the flavour really shines.
4) Maximise shelf life
Olive oil can turn rancid quicker than you think if it's not stored correctly. Protect it from heat and light to make sure it doesn't end up going to waste.
Tins and dark bottles are best as they help to block out the light.
Check the Best Before date when you buy it too. Fresher olive oils not only taste better, but they also contain higher levels of antioxidants known as polyphenols.
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