The small print.

OLIVE OIL MILLING

1. Olive Acceptance & Quality Standards

We want you to get the absolute best oil from your harvest! To help us create a premium oil together, please keep the following guidelines in mind:

• The Freshness Window: Ideally, try to deliver your olives within 24 hours of harvest. Olives begin to mature the moment they leave the branch, so prompt milling is the secret to capturing that perfect, fresh flavor.

• Tree-Picked Only: We only mill fresh, tree-harvested olives. To protect the quality of your batch (and our equipment), we cannot accept rotten fruit or olives collected from the ground.

• Quality In, Quality Out: The final flavor of your oil depends entirely on the condition of your fruit. Bringing us your finest, healthiest olives is the best way to ensure a delicious, high-yield result you'll love.

2. Booking Your Milling Slot

To give your harvest the attention it deserves, we highly recommend booking a slot in advance. This ensures our machinery is reserved just for you.

• Estimating Your Harvest: Not sure how many kilos you have? As a rule of thumb, you can assume one standard olive fruit bag holds about 20 kilos.

Preparing Your Olives for Milling

Our milling equipment creates beautiful oil, but it is extremely sensitive to foreign objects like stones. A thorough clean to remove leaves and debris is essential for a high-quality press. You can choose how to handle this:

• Option 1 (Full Service): Bring your olives just as they were collected, and our team will handle all the prep work for you.

• Option 2 (The Hands-On Experience – Highly Recommended!): Get involved in the process! Use our specialized equipment under our guidance to prepare your own olives. It’s a lot of fun and lets you see the magic happen firsthand.

• Expected Oil Yield: Every harvest is unique! Based on our experience, your oil yield will typically range from 12% to 17% of your total olive weight, depending entirely on the natural oil content of your fruit.b

3. Collecting Your Olive Oil

To give you an idea of what to expect, 100 kilos of olives will yield roughly 12 to 17 liters of oil.

• Bring Your Own Containers: Please bring clean, food-safe containers that can hold your expected volume. Keep in mind that light is the enemy of fresh olive oil, so dark or opaque containers are best to protect its quality.

• Need Containers? We’ve Got You Covered! If you don't have containers handy, don't worry. We stock 3-liter and 5-liter containers available for purchase at the mill.

4. Pricing & Payment Terms

We offer two different pricing tiers depending on how hands-on you want to be during the preparation process.

Milling Rates

• Up to 100 kg: €130 (We prep) / €110 (You prep)

• Up to 200 kg: €260 (We prep) / €220 (You prep)

• Up to 400 kg: €520 (We prep) / €440 (You prep)

• Up to 800 kg: €1040 (We prep) / €880 (You prep)

Important Booking Guidelines

• Harvest Size Limits: To ensure everyone gets a turn, bookings are open for total harvests up to a maximum of 800 kg per person (which will be split into two separate slots). Please note that the milling rates are a guideline and you will only pay for exact amount of kilos milled.

• Personal Use Only: Our mill is dedicated to hobbyists and families. We do not mill for commercial purposes; this service is strictly for your own personal and family enjoyment.

• Securing Your Slot and payment terms: A 20% deposit is required at the time of booking. The remaining balance is calculated and due on the day of your milling slot. If you are not able to provide an upfront payment, please speak to Haim directly, the master miller to discuss an alternative method of payment which is usually decided at his discretion. However, due ot escalating machine operating costs payment is usually required up front to secure your milling slot.

Exclusive Batches (Private Milling)

Because our malaxer holds 100 kg, batches are typically processed sequentially. If you have a smaller batch but want to guarantee that only your olives are in the machine, we can completely empty and clean the malaxer before your run for an additional €50 charge.

5. Our Premium Craft Milling Protocol

We treat your olives with the absolute highest level of care. Because we prioritize precision and quality over speed, our machinery processes about 50 to 60 kg per hour. Our specialized temperature-controlled protocol is designed to protect and retain the incredible medicinal and health properties of organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

5. The Warming Bath: Olives are submerged in a 23°C water tank until they reach the perfect uniform temperature.

   1. The Grind: During grinding, the temperature naturally rises by about 1.5°C, bringing the olive paste to 24°C–25°C.

   2. The Malaxing Process: The pulp is slowly and gently rotated to separate the oil from the pomace, with the temperature gradually and safely increased to a maximum of 27°C (true cold-pressing).

   Be Part of the Magic! As the grower, you are more than welcome to step into the mill and participate in the entire milling process alongside our miller!

6. Harvest Flexibility & Cancellations

We know that nature is unpredictable! Weather shifts and picking team delays happen. We want to make sure you get an oil that is far superior to anything you can buy in a store, so we are happy to be flexible with your booking.

If you realise you can't make your slot due to weather or harvesting delays, just let us know in advance via phone call or whatsapp as soon as you can. We will gladly work with you to rearrange and find a more suitable time within the harvest window as soon as practical. However, if you are not notifying us, please be aware that your deposit may not be refunded as it will affect the whole production output of the mill.

DELIVERY INFORMATION On Merkado Olive Orders: 

ORDERS: can be picked up from the farm directly from Monday to Friday between 10am-4pm. Delivery to mainland portugal will be dispatched within 7 working days, however, please allow up to 10 working days for delivery from the day of dispatch.  For international deliveries we are currently looking for a provider, please register your interest and we will keep you updated. 

NON-PORTUGAL ORDERS for any orders with a delivery address outside of the Portugal, please contact us directly at info@merkado-olive.com  We are currently looking for a stockist in the UK and Brazil so please register your interest and we will keep you updated. 

E GIFT CARDS: These can only be redeemed on our website for products, services and farm experience visits. E Gift Cards are not valid for redemption at our Farm Shop or at local markets. E Gift Cards are non-refundable and are not replaceable. On completion of your order the E Gift Card email will be sent to you or your chosen recipient on a separate email from your order confirmation and can take up to 24hrs to arrive. Please keep an eye on your inbox, spam, and junk folders. 

FARM EXPERIENCE VISITS: The Farm is a working agricultural environment. By entering the premises, the Visitor explicitly acknowledges that the property contains inherent risks, including but not limited to uneven terrain, unpredictable animals, heavy machinery, open bodies of water, and natural elements. Entry is entirely at the Visitor’s own risk. Visitors are strictly required to follow all posted safety signs, stay within designated public areas, and closely supervise any minors under their care. The Farm accepts no responsibility for damages or accidents resulting from a Visitor's failure to follow safety guidelines, reckless behavior, or lack of supervision. These terms are governed by and construed in accordance with Portuguese Law. Any legal disputes arising from a visit to the Farm shall be exclusively resolved in the competent District Court corresponding to the farm's geographical location.

Your email order confirmation will act as tickets to your farm experience day on the day booked through our site, please show the email on entry to the farm. Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. Cancellation is required 24 hours notice in order to change the date. However, in exceptional circumstances tickets will be reissued and refunded on an individual basis. 

PORTUGAL MAINLAND DELIVERY

Items destined for Portugal Mainland addresses are typically dispatched by CTT or Courier. Goods destined for delivery outside the Portugal Mainland are typically dispatched by DPD available upon request via email info@merkado-olive.com  It is not possible to choose exactly which carrier we use for your order, but we will endeavor to accommodate where possible.

Merkado Olive only dispatch Monday - Thursday, however parcels can be received Monday - Saturday depending on your location.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
If the recipient/addressee/delivery address refuses delivery of the goods or if you do not chase your local CTT office over the amount of days stated by the the courier/CTT Mail policy, your order will be returned to us, the sender. Once your returned order has been received by us, we will refund your order excluding the cost of delivery regardless of whether delivery has been paid on the initial order. If you do require your order to be resent, you will be required to pay the delivery charge again.

IMPORTANT NOTE

• Merkado Olive cannot accept responsibility for the non-delivery of goods outside of Portugal Mainland.

• Delivery lead times are estimated and cannot be guaranteed.

• If you require your order by a specific date please state clearly when ordering and we will do our utmost to meet it.

• Dispatch lead-time is normally within 3-5 working days of order placement, please allow up to 10 working days for standard Portugal Mainland delivery.

During busy periods during the olive harvest, delays may occur, so please bear with us.

PAYMENT

1. All transactions are in € euros.  Payments are made via credit or debit cards, subject to authority from the card issuer via the squarespace payment platform. 
Most major credit / debit cards are accepted. We do not accept American Express as a payment option.

2. When placing your order over the internet, your details are transmitted over a secure network connection  ia squarespace payments, and we never see your card details, ensuring your personal protection. We do not accept American Express. 

REFUNDS POLICY

Unfortunately, Merkado Olive cannot accept any returns of any perishable, food or fresh products purchased from Merkado Olive. If you would like to return any non-perishable, non-food or nonfresh products you may do so within 14 working days of receiving the goods. Return postage must be paid for by the customer and will not be reimbursed by Merkado Olive.

FAULTY, MISSING, INCORRECT ITEMS

Any faulty, missing or incorrect items must be reported to us within 2 days of receiving your order for our investigations. Claims will not be accepted for damages, shortages or packing errors unless they are reported within 2 working days of receipt of goods.

CANCELLATIONS

If for any reason you wish to cancel your order prior to dispatch, please let us know immediately and we will try to accomodate. Please note, once an order has been packed, cancellation is not possible.

COMPLAINTS

If you have any complaints about our products, service or any other aspects of our company please do not hesitate to contact us.

If you would like to receive more information regarding our products or have any suggestions, please feel free to contact us.

PRIVACY

We are committed to protecting your privacy and do not share customers personal details with third parties.
Click hereto see our Privacy Policy.

THE OLIVE LOVERS' CLUB

By joining The Olive Lovers' Club, you agree to Merkado Olive Retreat storing your payment card details which are fully encrypted and stored on the secure Squarespace server. Your stored card details will be charged for the cost of each monthly subscription every calendar month for each monthly subscription. 

Each month your subscription will be charged during week 1-2 of the month. You have the right to cancel this subscription at any time. To cancel your membership simply call our office on +351 935128 341, or via email info@merkado-olive.com

GIFT VOUCHERS & E GIFT CARDS

Merkado Olive Farm Shop Vouchers: We have Gift Vouchers available to purchase for use in our Olive Shop and Milling services. These can only be purchased over the phone on +351 935 128 341 or via WhatsApp on +44 7595 278906. The voucher is then sent via email to the purchaser. Please note, these vouchers cannot be redeemed online or at any other retailer, market or event.

Website Only E-Gift Card Vouchers: E Gift Cards are available in denominations of €20, €40 or €60. On completion of your order the E Gift Card email will be sent to you or your chosen recipient on a separate email from your order confirmation and can take up to 24hrs to arrive.  Please keep an eye on your inbox, spam, and junk folders. E Gift Cards are not valid for redemption at our Olive Shop, or at our Markets and Events. E Gift Cards are non-refundable and are not replaceable.

We cannot replace Gift Vouchers or E Gift Cards if they are lost.

DISCOUNTS & PROMOTIONS

From time to time Merkado Olive may offer new and existing customers discounts to be redeemed on our website only. These discounts are for use via our website www.merkadoolive.eu online and will apply to some or selected product lines and will only apply to physical products in jars/glass bottles. In some cases, the discount or promotion code may only apply to certain products or product categories. 

Sometimes and where possible, discounts and promotion codes will be applied automatically online via our website. However, this may not always be the case, and the customer may be required to 'enter/quote' a specific discount or promotion code during the checkout process. 

Please note, that any discount or promotion codes cannot be applied retrospectively and no cash alternative will ever be offered. Discounts and promotions may also not be applied to pre-orders. Offers cannot be applied retrospectively.

Merkado Olive reserves the right to cancel discounts and promotions, and may refuse the use of discounts and promotion codes at any time, or when the discount and promotion code has been used by the customer against non-complying items.

NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBER FARM EXPERIENCE GIVEAWAY

Giveaway starts 1st October 2026 at 00:00 and closes 30th September 2027 at 23.59. By signing up to receive our email newsletter, you are agreeing that you are over 18 years old and that you are a UK resident. The winner be drawn at random within 14 days of competition end and be contacted by Merkado Olive within 14 days of prize draw. The winner will have 48 hours to accept the prize once contacted. Prize includes a family farm experience for up to 6 people. Booking to be made on the website with prize draw code that is sent via email to the winner. Dates subject to availability. Prize must be claimed and booked by 31st October 2026, with the experience taken by 31st March 2027. No cash or prize alternative; prize is non-transferable. This competition is not open to employees of Merkado Olive.  Terms and conditions may be subject to change. All other travel and expenses are not included.