Eagle Bay Olives

In 1998 the original owner of this property on Cape Naturaliste Road planted more than 1,200 olive trees. They are still the heart of the place. The grove is family-owned and family-run. It sits on the Cape Naturaliste peninsula near the coast, between Dunsborough and Yallingup, at the northern end of the Margaret River wine region.

Seven olive varieties grow here, and they are not all handled alike. The olives are picked at different times, depending on the style of oil wanted. The oils are then tasted before anyone decides whether to blend them or bottle a single variety on its own. It is how a winemaker works, which suits the neighbourhood.

The Fresh Fruity extra virgin olive oil is a single-variety example, made from handpicked Leccino olives grown in the Eagle Bay groves. It comes in 100ml, 250ml, 500ml and one-litre sizes, and in a five-litre tin for kitchens that get through a lot of it.

Around the oil there is a farm pantry: an Egyptian-style dukkah of roasted nuts, seeds and spices, an apple balsamic, black olive tapenade, pesto rustico, an Indian lime pickle, a zucchini pickle, and jams made from fig and from cumquat.

The farm shop is on Cape Naturaliste Road, with garden seating by the orchard. There are donkeys on site, and they are part of the visit. Hours change, so check the maker's site before you drive out. If you have already been, and the bottle you brought home is nearly empty, the same oil is listed on the maker's site.