Tunisia’s Sté Ajroudi Credits Triple Win to ‘Great Passion’

Tunisian producer Sté Ajroudi received Gold Awards for all three of its NYIOOC entries at the world's premier olive oil competition.

This recognition is the product of our great passion for olive oil. We are extremely proud to be among this wonderful community of premium producers from all over the world.

Zacharia Ajroudi, Owner, Sté Ajroudi

The winning oils were Ajroudi Chetoui, a medium blend; Ajroudi Blend, a delicate blend; and Ajroudi Shell, a medium Sehli. All oils were produced by Société Agricole Ajroudi SA in Tunisia.

Owner Zacharia Ajroudi said, on hearing of the win, that ensuring the highest quality -- high enough to win the industry's most coveted award -- has been no easy task.

"Our main challenge was to implement an efficient logistics system to ensure that handpicked olives are collected, carried and processed according to the highest standards. Actually, producing premium quality is not as easy as it sounds! We believe that there is still much to do in order to capitalize on the great potential of our “terroir," Ajroudi said.

The company produced 3,000 liters of extra virgin olive oil from Chetoui and Sehli olives this season.

"We are really delighted to win three Gold Awards in NYIOOC for the first time. We feel that this recognition is the product of our great passion for olive oil. We are extremely proud to be among this wonderful community of premium producers from all over the world," Ajroudi said.

The NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, held each spring in New York, is the world's largest and most prestigious olive oil contest and its annual listing of award winners is considered the authoritative guide to the year’s best extra virgin olive oils.

The complete list of winners can be viewed on the Official Index of the World's Best Olive Oils