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The best store-bought olives in Australia, according to GT editors

The ideal entertaining snack, these are the olives we turn to for finishing the perfect Martini or grazing on a summer’s afternoon.
Best olives in Australia tested by Gourmet Traveller editorsWill Horner

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Olives are cherished for their rich, briny flavor and versatility — be it in a Dirty Martini, chopped up in a puttanesca or served solo as a delightful summer snack.

A great olive is plump, firm, and has a balanced combination of bitterness and saltiness. Here we put store-bought olives through their paces to find the four best olives in Australia. From Mount Zero’s bag of punchy rosemary and pepperberry marinated olives to the classic tin of Perello spicy olives hailing from Spain, these are the best olives to have in your pantry, ready to roll out when company calls.


Mount Zero olives marinated in rosemary and native pepper

Mount Zero rosemary & native pepper mixed olives


Native pepperberry leaves carry the aroma of Australian bushland, with notes of paperbark, cinnamon and herbs, which adds the ideal seasoning to these mixed olives. Coated in a punchy extra virgin olive oil that’s infused with rosemary, each green and dark purple olive is robust and tasty.

$5.50 for 80gm, mountzeroolives.com.au

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Made by Max olives are some of the best olives in Australia

Made by Max mixed marinated olives


When he’s not creating recipes and styling photo shoots for GT, food editor Maxwell Adey is busy mixing marinades for these premium olives. A blend of South Australian kalamata and Victorian green olives are punctuated with briney cornichons, making this tasty combo the perfect one-stop-shop for apéro hour.

$18 for 495gm, madebymax.com.au


Simon Johnson Gordal olives or Spanish queen olives

Simon Johnson gordal olives

These olives are a prime cocktail garnish thanks to their strong, salt-forward flavour profile and firm texture. Gordal olives, also known as queen olives, are grown in Spain. They are harvested early in the season, making them denser and more flavoursome than their black counterparts.

$12.95 for 300gm, simonjohnson.com

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Perello is considered the leading olive preserver in the world. No wonder its spicy olives are popular

Perello spicy gordal olives

Regarded by chefs as the leading olive preserver in the world, Perello’s signature spicy gordal olives pack a serious flavour punch. The bright chartreuse ovals are big on flavour, with a smoky, salty aroma and a deeply savoury, almost meat-like flavour. Try them skewered with anchovies as a Gilda or in your next Martini.

$11 for 150gm, mateinspain.com

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