From budget supermarket finds to premium artisan oils, I tasted 12 extra virgin olive and avocado oils to find the best for flavour and value
Sophie Harris Senior Lifestyle Reporter
07:00, 07 Apr 2026
(Image: Sophie Harris)
Olive oil isn’t merely a kitchen staple — it’s a nutritional powerhouse. Packed with healthy fats and antioxidants, it can benefit your heart, combat inflammation and even boost brain health. Extra virgin olive oil reigns supreme as the least processed variety, retaining the most nutrients and flavour. Whether you’re cooking, drizzling it over a salad or using it as a dip for bread, the taste can vary considerably depending on its country of origin.
Having personally sampled a range of olive and avocado oils — from supermarket own-brands to small independent producers — the variety on offer is remarkable, with some truly exceptional options standing out from the crowd.
Belazu
Belazu Early Harvest Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Crafted from Arbequina olives harvested before they reach full ripeness, this oil delivers a more pronounced flavour. It proved excellent for drizzling over salad leaves or dipping bread such as focaccia, and ranked amongst the most flavoursome oils in the test. At £22.50 for 1L or £11.50 for 500ml, it doesn’t come cheap, though that’s to be expected from any quality olive oil, the Express reports.
Score: 4/5
Belazu Verdemanda Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Another Spanish extra virgin offering made from Arbequina olives, this one sets itself apart by being unfiltered and flash-frozen immediately after pressing, a process designed to preserve its freshness and aroma. Harvested ahead of the main season, the olives yield considerably less oil but produce a strikingly intense colour. The result is a vibrant, punchy oil that I found to be considerably more robust. It boasted a distinctive grassy flavour that paired wonderfully with bread, making it ideal for finishing dishes such as salads that call for greater depth of flavour. It comes at a steeper price of £21 for 500ml.
Score: 3.5/5
Belazu Crete Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sourced from Koroneiki olives cultivated on the Greek island of Crete, this oil hails from one of Greece’s most celebrated olive varieties for oil production.
I found it to be a well-balanced, full-bodied extra virgin olive oil with a gentle peppery finish. Compared to the Spanish oils, this one offered a more rounded, accessible flavour profile, making it something of an all-purpose option in my kitchen. It tasted superb and has become my most frequently reached-for bottle. It is currently on offer at Waitrose for just £8.15 for 500ml.
The main drawback is that these olive oils are likely to stretch beyond many people’s budgets.
Score: 3/5
GOOD PHATS
I recently sampled a selection of GOOD PHATS oils, working my way through everything from traditional extra virgin olive oils to lighter avocado sprays.
Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray
This is a classic, fruity olive oil with subtle peppery notes. Incredibly versatile, I thoroughly enjoyed using it as a drizzle over salads, bread and lightly grilled vegetables. This spray bottle costs around £6.50 for 200ml.
The flavour was rich yet not overwhelming, making it an excellent kitchen staple.
Score: 4/5
The avocado spray was my favourite(Image: Sophie Harris)
Spanish Light Avocado Oil Spray
Mild, buttery and remarkably smooth are the words I’d use to describe this oil from GOOD PHATS. It’s ideal for high-heat cooking owing to its higher smoke point, yet its delicate flavour didn’t overpower the dishes. This spray bottle costs around £6.50 for 200ml.
Score: 5/5
Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
This olive oil delivered everything I anticipated from an Italian extra virgin olive oil. Bold and robust, with a peppery kick and a distinctive green hue. The bottle is currently on offer on Ocado for £12.50 per 500ml, down from its usual price of £15.60.
This one truly excels as a finishing oil drizzled over pasta, grilled vegetables, or, as a family member of mine discovered, alongside fish.
Score: 4/5
Spanish Light Avocado Oil
Much like the spray but in a practical drizzle bottle, this became one of my surprise favourites for day-to-day cooking. The flavour was simply delightful. This spray bottle is around £6.50 for 200ml, though it’s frequently on offer.
Score: 5/5
Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Similar to the spray, but also in a convenient drizzle bottle, this extra virgin olive oil proved perfect for a variety of dishes, including salads. This bottle is currently priced at £11.95 for 700ml, reduced from £14.95 on Ocado.
The bottles vary in price but remain quite reasonably priced and have served me well in the kitchen over time. These are, without doubt, amongst my firm favourites.
Score: 4/5
bona
The Organic Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil from bona is £22.50 for 750ml, and is described as striking the perfect balance between exceptional taste, nutritional benefits and sustainable farming practices.
It is also vacuum sealed to guarantee maximum flavour retention and polyphenol content at the point of consumption.
I loved the packaging and thoughtfulness behind this olive oil(Image: Sophie Harris)
The bag also features a tap base, which ensures that as the oil is dispensed, the bag contracts rather than allowing air to fill the space, effectively preventing oxidation.
Other customers are equally impressed with this olive oil, with 52 five-star reviews to its name. Some shoppers have noted that the packaging causes the oil to pour too quickly, a sentiment I share, as a narrower tap would have been preferable.
Nevertheless, it proved to be a truly delicious olive oil, and the thoughtful design and the bona ethos are both highly commendable.
Score: 3/5
Asda
Asda’s Exceptional Greek Koroneiki Extra Virgin Olive Oil
This £7.70 bottle of olive oil was a treat, offering a hint of pepper alongside bitter, nutty undertones. While highly versatile, it didn’t particularly stand out from the crowd, and several others I sampled left a stronger impression.
Score: 3.5/5
Asda’s olive oils were good all-rounders(Image: Sophie Harris)
Asda’s Extra Special Spanish Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Picual olives are amongst Spain’s most traditional and flavour-rich varieties. This oil boasted an intense fruity aroma and proved considerably richer than anticipated, though it remained pleasantly well-balanced rather than overpowering.
Its distinctive flavour made it an ideal choice for dipping, drizzling over salads, or accompanying grilled vegetables — the latter being a particular personal favourite. I was taken aback by how much I enjoyed the Picual’s bold flavour, and similarly to the GOOD PHATS sprays, I find myself genuinely appreciating oils with powerful, distinctive characteristics that enhance straightforward salads.
Score: 3/5
Whole Foods Market
365 by Whole Foods Market Extra Virgin Mediterranean Olive Oil seemed like a reliable, versatile choice. It offers a smooth, balanced taste without a sharp peppery note and works well for cooking and drizzling.
Nevertheless, it wasn’t particularly memorable, and it isn’t readily available, so I likely wouldn’t buy it.
Score: 2.5/5
I thoroughly enjoyed sampling all of these olive oils, and I can now recognise the distinction between them and their extraction techniques. Some were more impressive than others, and my surprising favourite remains avocado oil, and I’m entirely convinced by sprays. They’re far easier, neater and superior for precision.