Rick Martin founded 11 Olives when he moved to Seattle in 2010. He was inspired by the abundance of fresh local produce the Northwest had to offer and was motivated to live a healthier lifestyle. Being raised in an Italian American family in which quality olive oil and balsamic were staples at the dinner table, Rick has always valued the superior taste and health benefits that fresh extra virgin olive oil has to offer. So, he set out to share this passion by producing his own unique flavor blends right here in the Northwest. Since 11 Olives’ founding, Rick and his team have hosted thousands of tastings all over the Northwest and have built close friendships with the finest olive growers throughout California. In 2014, 11 Olives was awarded their first Gold Medal at the California Olive Oil Council’s annual tasting competition.  Since then 11 Olives has been awarded over 23 Gold or Silver medals over the last 8 years at the top International Olive Oil tasting competitions in the USA, most notably Gold medal at the 2015 New York International Olive Oil Competition and Best of Show, Best of Class, and Gold medals at the 2019 Los Angeles International Olive Oil Competition.

MISSION

Our mission is to offer the freshness and goodness of the earth to all of our customers. Our passion is harmony: harmony with nature, harmony with each other, and harmony with the flavors we produce in our small batch olive oils and balsamic vinegars. We look toward renewal and healthy living as our source of inspiration and growth. We believe our relationship with the environment is sacred and improving the quality of the foods we eat is fundamental in sustaining and honoring this relationship.

At 11 Olives we believe in community, friendship, and maintaining strong relationships with our customers. The encouragement which we have received from Seattle residents and fellow business owners has been overwhelming, and nearly every person we meet is making an effort to improve their community through their volunteer efforts or charitable giving. We have had the honor to work with many local nonprofits since opening 11 Olives, and we look forward to participating in many more special events, tastings, and community partnerships for years to come.

Keeping our carbon footprint small, we source from growers in California, instead of overseas like big companies. Then we handcraft our flavors in small batches here in the Northwest for farmers markets, specialty stores, grocers, and local shops.