This author has yet to write their bio.Meanwhile lets just say that we are proud Kirsty van der Walt contributed a whooping 21 entries.
Extra virgin olive oil is one of the most-studied foods in nutritional science. A 2025 peer-reviewed review of cardiovascular outcomes found regular EVOO consumption improves protection against inflammation, oxidative stress, blood pressure and endothelial function. This guide sets out exactly what the research says, how much you actually need to take (in tablespoons and in […]
South Africa now grows olives in commercial volumes across the Western and Northern Cape, with the Karoo, the Swartland and the Klein Karoo each producing distinct cultivars and styles. This guide explains the main South African olive varieties, how table olives are cured, what to look for on a label, and where to buy South […]
South Africa now sits at number twelve in the world’s olive oil ranking, despite producing under one per cent of the global harvest. In April 2026, De Rustica Olive Estate took first prize at the inaugural NOVA Awards in Córdoba, Spain. Mardouw Olive Estate landed at number twenty-four in the EVOO World Rankings — the […]
Drive four kilometres out of Prince Albert village along Kruidfontein Road and the Karoo does what the Karoo does: stripped earth, stone, scrub, the long flat horizon broken only by the Swartberg Mountains in the distance. Then the road bends, the gate opens onto Swartrivier Farm, and the landscape changes completely. Lawns. Fountains. A working […]
A 2018 Australian study tested 10 common cooking oils by heating them to 240 degrees Celsius over extended periods. Extra virgin olive oil produced the lowest quantity of harmful compounds of all oils tested — outperforming coconut oil, avocado oil and every seed oil including sunflower, which is the default cooking oil in most South […]
The Western Cape produces 93 percent of South Africa’s olive oil, and the farms that make it are spread across three distinct regions — the Cape Winelands (30 to 90 minutes from Cape Town), the Breede River Valley and Route 62 corridor (90 minutes to 3 hours), and the Karoo (4 to 5 hours). Each […]
Olive oil contains up to 300 times more squalene than any other vegetable oil — the same compound human skin produces naturally to stay moisturised and protected. A 2024 clinical trial published in Medicina found that olive oil polyphenols applied topically reduced wrinkles by 34 to 52 percent in 30 days. But there is a […]
Prince Albert is a five-hour drive from Cape Town, has more restaurants per capita than most towns in the Western Cape, sits at the foot of a UNESCO World Heritage mountain pass and offers stargazing so clear that professional astronomy operators have set up here permanently. A two-night weekend covers the Saturday market, a Swartberg […]
Cold pressed olive oil is extracted at temperatures below 27 degrees Celsius using mechanical force alone — no heat, no chemical solvents. This single constraint preserves over 90 percent of the antioxidants, polyphenols and volatile flavour compounds that make extra virgin olive oil valuable for both health and cooking. Heat extraction, by contrast, destroys up […]
Prince Albert has more restaurants per resident than almost any town in the Western Cape, and each one draws on the same Karoo pantry: slow-roasted lamb, artisan cheeses from Gay’s Guernsey Dairy, cold pressed olive oil from Swartrivier Farm and seasonal produce from the surrounding valley. From a six-table kitchen that has served the same […]
Find Us
Swartrivier Farm is 4 km from Prince Albert on the Kruidfontein Road (turn at the Prince Albert Golf Club and follow the signs).
