At Braehead Foods, we are constantly seeking ways to make sure our food is sourced from the very best suppliers. This month we are taking a closer look at one of our suppliers, Belazu Ingredient Company, which was originally established in 1991 as The Fresh Olive Company by best friends Adam Wells and George Bennell. The pair spotted a gap in the market for restaurant quality fresh olives, which were unavailable in the UK at the time and they began shipping back buckets of olives from the continent, which they sold to delicatessens. Today Belazu has a projected turnover of £32 million and is the largest manufacturer of olives and pesto in the UK.

Specialists in Mediterranean ingredients for both the professional and home chef, London based manufacturer Belazu has been sourcing and supplying olives, oils and vinegars to retailers such as Sainsburys and top chefs in Michelin Star restaurants and high end hotels for over 25 years. Their authentic Mediterranean ingredients are loved and trusted by some of the country's top chefs such as Raymond Blanc, Nigella Lawson and Michel Roux Junior.

Belazu bring the best ingredients together to create a range of innovative olive mixes, pastes, antipasti and snacks, whilst always remembering that the core ingredient is king. They use only quality ingredients, which are handled with care and used only in small batch quantities to maintain the goodness and texture, and they contain absolutely no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. The company now produces 100 tonnes of fresh olives a week along with more than 500 product lines including oils, vinegars, Mediterranean vegetables, pestos, nuts and culinary pastes.

Olive some of that…

We stock a variety of Belazu olives and pestos at Braehead Foods for all your Mediterranean culinary needs. There are dozens of varieties of olives to choose from, each with a different shape, size, and colour. We've outlined some below and described their characteristics so you can decide which variety you require.

Italian Olive Mix

Nocellara, Bella di cerignola, Gaeta & Nostraline - an olive mix of great pedigree. Four classic Italian olives in one bowl, offering an interesting contrast between flavours and textures...  

• Huge green Bella di Cerignola from Puglia
• Small, purple Nostraline from Puglia
• Large bright green Nocellara from Sicily
• Purple Gaeta from the South of Italy

Pitted Harlequin Olives

Pitted Chalkidiki and Uslu olives, with red peppers, garlic and a touch of chilli.

Pitted Kalamata

Classic Kalamata olives. Rich and famously fruity.

Martini Olives

Stone-free Chalkidiki olives, perfect shaken or stirred in a Martini.

Nocellara

Crisp, lush green Sicilian olives; this singular varietal serves as the strongest reminder that olives are indeed a fruit. A proud winner of two Great Taste stars from the Guild of Fine Foods, Nocellara is the perfect table olive - it pairs wonderfully with all sparkling wines. Hailing from Trapani, Sicily, these early harvest olives are cured for just 10 days using the Castelvetrano method (named after the Sicilian town which developed it). It's a natural process that means that they retain their vivid lush green colour and firm al dente texture. A beautiful olive. 

 

Pesto both worlds

Red Pesto

Blended from sun dried and semi-dried tomatoes, with hard cheese and herbs. This red pesto is made from three types of tomatoes, two Italian and one Turkish. Could be used for crostini or savoury flans - its bright colour makes a good base for colour contrasting toppings.

Nut Free Green Pesto

Pesto alla Genovese is the classic pesto from which all others take their name and is made from Genovese PDO basil, which Belazu's basil partner Mario harvests, chops and packs within four hours, to protect that fresh herbaceous taste. Instead of Parmesan, they've used a vegetarian Italian hard cheese. 

Supergreen Pesto

Broccoli, kale, basil, broad bean, pumpkin & sunflower seeds join forces in a fantastic alternative to your usual pesto. Great for a healthy grain salad, perhaps with some ancient grains. 

 

Order now

If you'd like more information on the Belazu products we stock or would like to place an order, get in touch with your local Sales Manager or call our main office on 01563 550008.