From Mt Athos to Marks & Spencer, Grafton Street
The product: M&S halkidiki olives, stuffed with feta cheese, almonds or sundried tomatoes, are from the slopes of Mount Athos in Greece.
The Greek farms: Following several product trials and tastings of kalamata olives in the south and halkidiki olives in the north of Greece, M&S chose the agricultural trade centre of Larissa, near Athens, to process its halkidiki olives.
The process: Olives are picked and stored in barrels containing brine, before being transferred to a local factory for an intense cleaning process using automated machines. The olives then go through a hand-processing stage where produce of poor quality is removed. The remaining olives are stuffed by hand and left in brine. They are later put briefly through a pasteuriser, which is intended to preserve the olives without altering their texture or flavour.
The journey: An agent who deals directly with the farmers and manufacturers, and is accountable for tracing the origins of the product, ensures that the jarred olives are transported to UK depots by train or ferry, depending on the urgency of the load. The jars are then shipped to M&S headquarters and subsequently supplied to outlets in the UK and Ireland. Each product has a shelf-life of between 12 and 18 months.