Frequently Asked Questions

All three Ionian Gold oils - Xavdata, Paliki and our flagship Livadi - are made from 100% Koroneiki olives. Koroneiki is the most prized Greek variety for high-polyphenol oil, with small fruit, intense flavour, and a naturally high antioxidant content. Our trees have grown on the Paliki Peninsula in Kefalonia for centuries.

Yes, and high-polyphenol extra virgin olive oil holds up better at heat than refined supermarket oils, because its polyphenols are natural antioxidants that slow oxidation. The smoke point of a good EVOO sits around 200°C, comfortably above most sautéing and roasting temperatures. Xavdata is our recommended everyday cooking oil - it's versatile enough to pour without thinking. Read our full guide to cooking with extra virgin olive oil.

Yes - olive oil doesn't spoil in a dangerous way, but it slowly oxidises and loses its flavour and health benefits. A well-stored unopened bottle stays at its best for around 18 months from harvest. Once opened, finish it within three months for the fullest flavour and polyphenol benefit. If you go through a bottle quickly, the Liquid Gold Club delivers fresh every month so you're never drinking from an old bottle.

A 500ml bottle is best finished within three months of opening, stored somewhere cool and out of direct sunlight. Polyphenols protect the oil from oxidation, but they don't make it last forever. The bottle won't be unsafe after three months - it'll just taste flatter and deliver fewer of the antioxidants you're paying for. Subscribe monthly to make sure you're always cooking with fresh oil.

Polyphenols are the natural antioxidant compounds in olive oil, mostly from a family called secoiridoids. They give the oil its peppery bite, slow it from going rancid, and they're the reason high-quality EVOO is linked to many of the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. The EU permits a health claim for any oil with at least 250 mg/kg of polyphenols. Xavdata sits at 1,052 mg/kg, Paliki at 1,023 mg/kg, and Livadi at 1,411 mg/kg. Read the full guide to high-polyphenol olive oil.

All of our olive oil comes from our family estate on the Paliki Peninsula in Kefalonia, Greece. It's grown, harvested, pressed, and bottled on site, with nothing leaving the grove between the trees and the bottle.

Both Xavdata and Paliki are single-estate Koroneiki extra virgin olive oils, but they come from different parts of our grove. Xavdata grows in the hills, where cooler air and deeper soil produce a softer, rounder oil that suits everyday cooking and marinades. Paliki grows on the coast, where sea air and mineral-rich soil give a brighter, more peppery oil that's built for finishing. Compare all three of our oils side by side, or try them with our Liquid Gold Club subscription.

We're not certified organic, but we follow strict low-intervention, chemical-free practices that align with biodynamic principles. The estate has been farmed by the Dellaporta family for over 500 years, and our production methods prioritise soil health, pollinators, and seasonal rhythms over yield maximisation.

Yes - the Liquid Gold Club is our monthly olive oil subscription, starting from £17 a month. Choose every two weeks, monthly, or every two months, and your bottle ships fresh from Kefalonia each time. Same single-estate oil, never sitting on a shelf.

Keep it in a cool, dark place with the cap sealed when you're not using it. Light, heat and air are the three things that degrade olive oil fastest, which is why we bottle all our oils in dark glass. A cupboard away from the hob is ideal.

Yes, we do. Please email nicholas@ioniangold.com for more information about our wholesale partnerships, or visit our wholesale page for an overview of how we work with delis, restaurants, and gift retailers.