Willow Creek Olive Products
Our Factory
The evolution of our factory is not only a testament to our commitment towards our customers but also showcases our love of innovation and the spirit of excellence engrained in our company culture.
Our Factory
Square Metres
Processing
Tons/Hour
Oil extracted at about
Degree Celsius
Locally Produced
%
South African
From Press to Bottle
Willow Creek Olive Products houses one of South Africa’s largest olive factories, equipped with leading technology that ensures high quality cold-pressed extraction.
Cold Press Extraction
Cold press extraction is a processing method employed in the extra virgin olive oil industry, characterised by its focus on maintaining low temperatures throughout the entire process. This method is used to preserve the quality and natural characteristics of olives, from which the oil is extracted.
The key elements of cold press extraction:
Low temperatures
Throughout the extraction process, it is ensured that temperatures do not exceed a specific limit, typically around 27 degrees Celsius (80.6 degrees Fahrenheit). This limit prevents the use of high temperatures that could impact the quality of the oil, ensuring the preservation of the natural essence of the olives and avoiding the degradation of their nutrients and aromatic compounds.
Mechanical process
No chemicals and/or heat is used in our methods of separation of oil from olives. Cold press extraction relies solely on mechanical methods. This includes our state-of-the-art Protoreattore malaxing unit, in combination with the Pieralisi Leopard 8 olive press and centrifuge used to extract extra virgin olive oil. Press extraction relies on mechanical methods.
Nutrient preservation
The low temperature and cold press extraction help preserve the nutrients and beneficial compounds present in olives, such as antioxidants and healthy fats. This contributes to the quality and nutritional properties of the resulting oil. Ensuring an optimal level of preserving polyphenol content, PV (max 20 meq/kg) and FFA (max 0.8%) and lower exposure to oxygen.
Extra virgin olive oil
Cold press extraction is commonly associated with the production of extra virgin olive oil, considered the highest grade of olive oil. This type of oil is characterised by its fresh flavour, fruity aroma, and low acidity. It ensures maximum flavour and intensity because chemical components evaporate above 27 degrees, significantly reducing the culinary properties of other oils.
Slower process, higher quality
Cold press extraction emphasises quality over quantity, preserving the natural characteristics of olives to obtain the highest quality olive oil. This method is appreciated by those seeking richer flavour profiles and health benefits.
Why our quality exceeds expectations
At Willow Creek Olive Products, we believe the journey to exceptional olive products begins with us. We do our utmost to ensure we comply with all legislation and customer requirements. We uphold the FSSC 22000 certification, but not limited to ensuring all certification compliance with regards to Halaal; Kosher; SEDEX/SMETA and CTC. These certifications allow our customers to have confidence in the quality and safety of our products, knowing that we have a rigorous food safety and quality system in place.
However, our pursuit of excellence will not benefit prospective customers if we fail to provide a clear explanation of what sets our brand apart. For this reason, we support our core values of goodness being in our nature throughout our facility, to produce the highest quality product and take ownership of our craft.
Whether we are bottling, packing, or storing our products, physical and chemical inspections are done every step of the way. Stringent testing measures are implemented that align with stringent South African National Standards and International Standards alike.
Every year we also do a full chemical analysis according to the South African National Standard (SANS 1377), which allows us to classify our EVOO products as extra virgin.
Goodness is in our nature
We participate in the SA olive CTC scheme
We also participate in the SA Olive Commitment to Compliance (CTC) Scheme which means that all of our customers are buying extra virgin olive oil that is of top quality. The CTC seal on all our bottles guarantees the following:
- The content of our products is 100% South African.
- Our bottles display the year of harvest, indicating the freshness of our oil.
- We are committed to the standards set in the SA Olive Codes of Practice, which are based on international quality standards.
- We are committed to honest and transparent labelling. If our bottle label states the content is extra virgin, then that means we have verified that the content is in fact extra virgin and not virgin, or refined olive oil.
Compliance to Golden Standards
Willow Creek ensures the execution, upkeep, and oversight of all compliance with regulations and standards pertaining to Food Safety, Quality, Health and Safety, Environmental, and Ethical considerations, which are diligently observed through daily operational practices. Implementing comprehensive and rigorous testing protocols to ensure the production of food-safe, high-quality, award-winning product lines.
Our compliance and technical teams’ love for quality, research, olive-based products and compliance fuels their passion to uphold our product and operational line’s stellar reputation, ensuring that the team culture lends itself to the production of exceptional Willow Creek Olive Products.
We also drive the competitiveness of our product line by ensuring that our oil is recognised in both the local and international olive oil markets. This ensures that our award-winning product line gets the accreditation it deserves.
