Regular stall-holders include Hilary and Colin Clere, who harvest, press and market their olive oil under the Tussock label. I visited Tussock just after the 2006 harvest and marvelled at the stack of freshly washed and hand-polished lemons. “These we picked from our friend John Hoare’s lemon grove and the skins and juice will be pressed with some of our Minerva olives,” Hilary told me. She relishes the task of consistently achieving the right lemon and olive balance for their popular lemon-infused oil.
Marlborough olive growers are lamenting a season plagued by frost damage after the last drops of oil were squeezed by Marlborough Olive Press last weekend.
Marlborough Olive Press chairman Mark Heard said frost had affected Marlborough's crop quite badly. Marlborough Olive Press had processed about 185 tonnes but that was about 50 tonnes below the district's potential.
Tussock Olive Oil owner Colin Clere said it was the worst season he had experienced since he entered the olive industry in 2000.
Mr Clere said it had been a disastrous season with about 1000 of his 1600 olive trees frosted.
Despite the frost, the flavour of the oil produced was "very, very good" and a little more "fruity" than last season.
