The story of OLIVE OIL GROVE starts way back, to 1983 when we met at the age of twelve.
On our first outing together (too old to call it a play date, and too young to call it a date), and chaperoned by two of Heather's six-foot-something tall brothers, we sat on a blanket and watched the sparkling sky on July 4, 1983.
The explosions above, and within, were the beginning of a love story and partnership that continues today, 39+ years later.
ABOUT OLIVE OIL GROVE
We started OLIVE OIL GROVE during the COVID-19 outbreak. After a year of planning, in October 2020, with a heavy deliberation about whether to travel or not, Lucas traveled to Spain (only allowed with his Spanish passport), and almost didn't return as Spain went into a strict national lockdown the night before his return. Reaching the airport was a tremendous challenge: with each successive police roadblock, he learned which passport to show in order to keep moving forward. At the end, using his American passport with a very broken accent would easily have the police wave him on without hesitation. Learn more about this trip and much more, by listening to the
WHEN IN SPAIN podcast episode (
Android |
Apple).
Heather runs the company day-to-day, building the brand one conversation and social media post at a time. Lucas serves as the resident expert on olive oil production and quality. Lucas has been in the olive oil industry for over two decades, and with his engineering background, assesses the manufacturing processes of the groves and farms, and ensures that they only partner with the award-winning farms that produce world-class, responsibly-sourced, products worthy of your tables.
Through expertise in selecting the best and authentic products from small organic artisanal farms, OLIVE OIL GROVE is in the business of providing a
gastronomic experience to the foodie. The core values that drive the brand are:
PASSION, AUTHENTICITY, and HEALTH.
Thank you for sharing a moment of your time getting to know OLIVE OIL GROVE. We hope our passion shows in everything we do. This passion led us to create OLIVE OIL GROVE, and
from grove to table® is our north star that brings this passion to you.
MY JOURNEY TO HEALTH - by Heather
In my early twenties, my mantra was that
every day should be a party. I was carrying around extra weight and a lot of bad habits, including smoking. I didn’t exercise and ate whatever I wanted. Gratefully, one day I didn’t feel well and had an epiphany: I realized the quality of my life and my health was in my hands and that I had the power to feel better in my own skin. I started to take control of my life by eating healthier and exercising. I lost 30 pounds and quit smoking over the course of 6 months.
I changed every aspect of my life and the empowerment that I had after this
journey to health compelled me to want to share this gift with others. I went back to school in my late twenties and earned a degree in health and wellness. After that, I worked at a national level, and helped people achieve healthier lifestyles through health coaching, meditation training, and corporate wellness.
My passion for helping others starts in our home kitchen. Lucas and our children are my main target to provide every opportunity to lead the healthiest life possible. I keep things simple by purchasing good quality whole foods. Our fresh and organic olive oil is a perfect example of a simple and delicious kitchen staple that easily enhances the taste of anything we drizzle it on and boosts our health with the supercharged polyphenol antioxidants. I'm very proud that my two children, now teens, had never stepped into a fast food place until they were able to drive themselves! The big secret to eating healthy at home is to have the healthy and whole foods available in the kitchen.
I keep exercise as simple as my food: I lead by example, and I move everyday with my daily walk. Walking outdoors and a daily morning meditation sets the tone for the day allowing me to show up for myself first and live a more present life.
Today, I still think everyday should be a party, but from a different perspective. To enjoy the celebration, we must eat well, keep moving and be mindful. To learn more, read
Heather's Healthy Habits.
FINDING MY AUTHENTIC SELF - by Lucas
I was born and raised in Spain, and immigrated to the U.S. at the early age of seven. One of my first foods in Spain was extra virgin olive oil, and had access to fresh and delicious olive oil at every turn.
Many people in the U.S. know that extra virgin olive oil is healthy, but very few people know that almost all the
olive oil available in the U.S. is not authentic, not high quality, has been stripped of its health-promoting benefits through mass production, and is certainly not fresh. This is the exact problem OLIVE OIL GROVE is addressing: providing access to exceptional olive oil. On my personal trips to Spain, I would stuff my checked luggage with as much olive oil as possible, always wrapped in multiple layers of garbage bags to avoid the on-air oil spill!
Sometimes, my love for olive oil stood out in awkward ways. At the college cafeteria, I would bypass the hamburger and hotdogs and dart straight for the salad bar. But I had a tough time with the thick/creamy dressings and canola oil that they provided, so I simply brought my own olive oil to the table. Clearly, I valued the health and taste of my salad over how I looked bringing in my own little bottle to the college cafeteria. This overwhelming craving for quality olive oil was a small part of my authentic self.
I was passionate about what I ate, and passionate about good olive oil.
I graduated from GA Tech with a degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering, so assessing the quality of manufacturing plants and olive oil mills is my sweet spot.
A completely unexpected chapter in my life is my unwavering love for paragliding. Managing my fear of heights, and "high-fiving" clouds, has led me to discover facets of my authentic self that I didn't know existed.
