Well known as the daddy of olive oil, in fact they must sell more bottles of the stuff worldwide than anyone else, Filippo Berio also sell the actual olives too.

You’ve probably tasted tinned olives, the ones packed in brine, and decided quite rightly ‘never again’.Why those manufacturers take perfectly good black olives, remove stones and flavour, and then pack them in water is anyone’s guess. They taste horrid on their own and not much better in dishes.

Filippo Berio on the other hand pack theirs in extra virgin olive oil, because let’s face it, they aren’t short of supply. You can buy mixed their whole olives in varying sizes and textures, ideal for pre-dinner nibbles or lobbing into lamb stews, or go a bit fancier with Feta Stuffed Olives. Sun Dried Tomato Stuffed Olives, Garlic Stuffed Olives and Pimiento Stuffed Olives. Shame they don’t yet do Anchovy Stuffed Olives, our particular office favourite even when in brine.

The natural flavour of the olives comes through in all and the olives themselves are firm and meaty. £2.79 a jar in Sainsbury’s.