The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Praise for olive oil from South Canterbury

Otago Daily Times
31 Oct, 2018 08:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Anita and Alan Blakemore are delighted with their silver medal win at at the New Zealand Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards. Photo: Chris Tobin

Anita and Alan Blakemore are delighted with their silver medal win at at the New Zealand Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards. Photo: Chris Tobin

Entering the New Zealand Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards for the first time paid off for Anita and Alan Blakemore.

The couple picked up a silver medal in the commercial mild blends section at the awards dinner in Masterton recently.

''We're over the moon,'' Mr Blakemore says.

''We're the only grove in South Canterbury regularly producing olive oil, since this is a marginal growing area.

We're producing very, very good oil.''

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The Blakemores started growing olives more than 10 years ago.

''We were arable farming in Opihi Valley and looking for something different.''

After selling their farm and looking at properties around the South Island, they decided to stay put in South Canterbury, buying a property in Longview Rd just outside Pleasant Point. Their home has a stunning elevated view towards the Southern Alps.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

They raised beef calves, then moved into growing olives.

''We were told there were olive trees up for tender in Nelson,'' Mrs Blakemore says.

''We won the tender and had to take possession of 220 trees. They were in black pots, about 1m tall.''

The process of planting them over 1.2ha of land was laborious, Mr Blakemore digging the holes and Mrs Blakemore planting the trees.

Discover more

Family have farmed station since 1907

17 Oct 10:00 PM

Australian award for Mosgiel's TracMap

23 Oct 01:30 AM

Texel ram breeders plan to hold field day

23 Oct 06:00 PM

Seeking those worthy for NZ Century Farm awards

23 Oct 07:00 PM

''We put in a triple irrigation system and collected rainwater,'' Mr Blakemore says. ''We watered them four times the first year, two times the second, and nothing after that.''

Mrs Blakemore says they could have had their first harvest in 2006 but there was a big snowstorm and hungry birds helped themselves to the olives.

''Our first harvest was in 2008, which we hand-picked, about 25 litres of oil.

''We got excited and so planted another 200 trees.''

Harvesting the olives begins in mid-June or July and runs over eight to 10 days.

''This year it was in August. The Lions club came from Point to help us with the harvest.''

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Between 700 and 800 kilos were taken to a press at Waipara.

''We're the last to get it pressed each season at Waipara.''

The oil returns in 50-litre stainless steel containers which the Blakemores let settle for three or so weeks. Then they start blending it, and bottling it in 250ml and 500ml bottles.

Their oil olive is sold in businesses around the region and they travel to many market days as well.

The judges who awarded them the silver medal said Longview Olives had a delicate flavour on the palate and a rounded finish.

''We won't get rich producing it,'' Mr Blakemore says.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

''It's the satisfaction trying to produce really good oil from an area where no-one else produces.''

But they are not resting on their laurels. Their aim is to get better.

''Our goal is to win the competition,'' Mrs Blakemore says smiling.

''We're not likely to do that because we blend all our oil together - others blend to their taste and are more likely to do better.

''But a former New Zealand judge said our oil was as good as anything he'd tasted.''

-By Chris Tobin

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim

The Country

City to Farm - how leftovers are giving back to the land

The Country

The Country: Tasman farmer on flooding aftermath


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim
The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim

Jock Davies was remembered for his infectious humour, caring nature and great strength.

14 Jul 04:21 AM
City to Farm - how leftovers are giving back to the land
The Country

City to Farm - how leftovers are giving back to the land

14 Jul 03:16 AM
The Country: Tasman farmer on flooding aftermath
The Country

The Country: Tasman farmer on flooding aftermath

14 Jul 02:16 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP