Olivier Baussan's Première Pression

By Alice Alech

May. 10, 2011 10:51 UTC

Anyone in Paris can now buy good quality Provençal olive oil from six dedicated olive oil shops in the capital. At Première Pression Provençal, (First Pressed Provence) customers discover the lesser-known olive regions of the Provence, experience the nuances of vert, noire et mûr (green black and ripe) olive oil from thirty-two Provençal producers, and can even compose their own variations of olive oil.

At the helm of this new enterprise is Olivier Baussan creator of the successful natural cosmetic company L’Occitane. Baussan, also the creator of the Mediterranean specialty retailer Olivier &Co, has always loved olive oil. Now he wants to share that passion and his own Provençal culture while providing a new outlet for olive producers to sell their fine extra virgin oils.

It’s a welcome boost for olive oil producers in the south of France. Although the quality of French olive oil is widely regarded among the best in the world, France produces much less olive oil than competitors Spain and Italy, and France processes only three percent of its fruit for oil.

Baussan is an expert in olive oil; he has been involved in olive oil business since 1996 when he set up Oliviers & Co. His suppliers, mostly from France, Spain and Italy were small families and cooperatives who followed precise methods of cultivation and production. When he left the company eight years ago, Oliviers & Co boasted 85 shops worldwide.

He created L’Eco Musée de l’olivier in Volx in Upper Provence in 2006, a museum dedicated to Mediterranean olive farming and traditional lifestyle. Using interactive and audiovisual tools, visitors learn all about olive oil culture and also get a chance to taste different olive oils and products. Baussan opened the first Premiere Pression shop at the museum in his native Provence.

He says “the olive trees of the Provence make up more than the landscape. They are the substance for the stories of men and women who live in harmony with the land. It’s sharing these encounters and the desire to create ties that drove me to the olive fields in search of delicious discoveries.”

Baussan sees First Press Provence as a form of commerce where the distributor is not considered as the middle man but more as a link between producer and a consumer Both the domaine and the producer’s name are included on the labels of the containers.

The shops are more than just stores, they’re a learning experience.

Touch screens with photos, texts and cards take visitors on a virtual trip to Provence, to the region, the producer and the fruit. They learn how the land, the climate, the olives and the know-how can influence the tastes, colors and aromas of the oil.

What are the traditional Provençal flavors according to Première Pression?

— A slight peppery taste, with an aroma of fresh artichokes with ‘fruity green’, when the olives are picked early and processed within 24 hrs.

— Aromas of red fruit and a hint of lime with ‘fruity ripe’ when the fruit is ripe, black and processed immediately.

— A ‘fruity black’ flavor is obtained when the olives are picked and stored for a few days at the mill before being processed. The aroma and taste are quite different to the other two; this is a sweet olive oil with tangs of mushrooms, dried fruit and even some cocoa. Producers of fruity black are proud of their oil. One expert Provençal olive oil producer said that fermentation is a delicate process, one of sensuality and intuition where you can’t just follow the instructions; “you have to feel it in your heart.”

Baussan said that although Provençal producers cannot compete with Italians and Spanish producers in terms of quantity, he feels that oils from the Provence will have a niche market in the future. They have the geographic qualities of the Provence, the expertise and the rich Provençal traditions.

Browsing and choosing olive oil is fun at the sleek First Press Provence shops; thirty-two labels in thirty-two colors representing the thirty-two producers are on show. Customers bring their own bottles and fill up using the elegant l’orgue aux huiles, designed by Baussan for filling bottles. Made of glass it resembles an organ and will hold 10 liters or so of olive oil.

Customers pay 22 euros for a liter of bulk olive oil, and eight euros for a 250 ml. stainless steel can. Gift boxes of olive oil are also on offer along with other regional specialties like tapenade made from green and black olives with exotic names such as Pulpe de Salonenque and Pulpe de Picholine.

Premère Pression Provence has just opened their first overseas store in Hong Kong.

“Paris is a priority. We have just opened our first shop in Asia and we will no doubt be continuing to develop the market slowly. New York would be a fine destination. Our box sets of three olive oils from the Provence are sold at Dean & Deluca,” he said.

Olivier Baussan's Première Pression

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