Tap into The Tubby Olive

The Tubby Olive, Newtown

I don't know about you, but I love taste testing. It turns the often uneventful task of food shopping into a culinary experience, not to mention helps you make an educated decision as a consumer. While oils & vinegars are among the key ingrediants in a majority recipes, many shoppers fail to take advantage of the vast array of choices and flavors available. Luckily ,the The Tubby Olive, a one of a kind store packed with culinary treats, has arrived in Newtown. Located in the heart of town on State Street, the Tubby Olive opened its doors for the first time to the public on September 7th.

When I first learned that the The Tubby Olive was opening, I didn't quite know what to expect since there are so few stores centered around such a specific item. Upon arriving, I found out that the name specifically refers to fresh olives that are harvested by hand and placed in tubs for olive oil production. They are taken immediately from the groves to olive mills where they are washed, de-leafed, and crushed by large granite stones. The process changes high quality olives into the flavorful extra virgin olive oil you will find at The Tubby Olive.

As we walked through the door, owners Sharon Huss, Holly Roach and Nancy Murray greeted us and provided an overview of the store along with a pairing guide. There are an endless amount of oils and vinegars to try; I didn't know when to stop! The oils and vinegars are stored in stainless steal tubs called fusti, all of which have taps on them for easy pouring. Each of the fustis have a description of what is inside along with pairing suggestions. I probably tried around twenty different oils and vinegars, each of which had amazing, distinct flavors. Some of my favorites were organic avocado oil, wild mushroom and sage oil, jalapeno balsamic, persian lime oil, and dark chocolate balsamic – just to name a few! You can look at their complete product list to see exactly what they have.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, I found out that in addition to the oils and vinegars they sell a variety of olives, mustards, sauces and pestos. I wanted to get almost everything I saw in there. I appreciated the hands-on staff and their helpful suggestions as I let my tastebuds do the shopping. The Tubby Olive is a culinary experience that will inspire the gourmet chef in all of us.

The Tubby Olive is located at 17 South State Street in Newtown. They are open Monday-Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 10am-5pm and Sunday 12pm-4pm. You can also see what the The Tubby Olive is up to by visiting their blog.