​​Jenni’s Oil of Life is a healthy business link between Dromore and Greece

Jenni, an experienced marketer, has developed a business relationship with one of the most respected producers of award-winning extra virgin olive oils in Greece, Douzenis, the producer of the successful Theoni brand, to create her flavoured products in the Co Down town.

The enterprising foodie recently launched her Oil of Life ‘Drizzle and Dip’ extra virgin olive oils successfully at food markets and other events here. The flavoured range from the Greek oil includes truffle, black garlic, lemon and bay, and orange and

oregano.

Sales of the cold pressed oils have been developing steadily in local delis, butchery stores and farm shops.

An experienced and much-travelled chef, Jenni had been enjoying the exceptional oils, especially around the picturesque village of Astros in the Greek Pelopennese region, for many years on visits to the Mediterranean nation before deciding to set up her own small business here.

“I love the outstanding quality, rich flavours and health benefits of the olive oil from sun soaked Astros and the wider Messinia region, where olives for oil and Kalamata table olives are grown, processed and traded,” explains Jenni, a graduate in new product development and marketing from Bournemouth University.

She saw a business opportunity “to make the exceptional oils from Astros more readily accessible throughout Northern Ireland and, in time, to Great Britain”.

Jenni is now the sole distributor in the UK and Ireland for Douzenis Olive Oils, a producer with a longstanding tradition of consistency, reliability, trust and respect for the quality of olive oil stretching back many generations.

Douzenis started in 1933 at Astros and now operates a state-of-the-art processing and bottling unit for the extra virgin oil for Greece and further afield.

A desire to study abroad led Jenni to pursue her deeply held interest in food and food preparation in Britain. The interest stems from her upbringing on the family’s beef, sheep and arable farms around the village of Loughbrickland in Co Down.

“I’ve been a foodie from my time on the family farms that cover around 600 acres and stretch back several generations,” she continues. “It made sense to me to explore opportunities for a career in the industry and to gain qualifications in Britain.

This decision led me to study at Bournemouth and then, after graduation, to posts as a chef and marketer in the hospitality and catering sectors there,” she adds.

A lengthy stint in Britain included 20 years in London included Jenni and family visiting their beloved Greece regularly and meeting olive oil growers and processors including Douzenis.

The quality of this company’s oils was evidenced recently by the award of a silver medal in the prestigious New York World International Olive Oil Championships (NYIOOC), the largest event of its kind in the world, which attracted over 1,000

entries from 28 countries.

In 2005, Jenni returned to Dromore with husband and two sons and decided to develop her interest in artisan food products, a decision that led eventually to the enterprising olive oil venture. And it’s an enterprise in which Jenni his being encouraged and advised by Susie Hamilton Stubber and Bob McDonald of multi- award-winning Burren Balsamics in Richhill, a hugely successful exporter of a unique range of balsamic vinegars, sauces, relishes and jams.

“I’ve gained a vast amount of knowledge about the industry and in the development of my brand and products from talking to Susie and Bob about their outstanding success,” continues Jenni.

Extra virgin olive oil, Jenni explains, is the least processed variety and is often considered by experts to be the healthiest type of olive oil. It’s produced using natural methods and standardised for purity and certain sensory qualities, such as taste and smell.

It also claimed to be is rich in disease-fighting antioxidants and has been claimed to be offer a wide range of potential health benefits including heart-healthy fats, along with vitamins E and K. Vitamin E is an essential nutrient that doubles as an antioxidant, while vitamin K plays a key role in bone health, blood clotting, and heart health. In addition to its notable antioxidant content, extra virgin olive oil is loaded with monounsaturated fatty acids, a type of healthy fat that has been linked to benefits.