You will almost certainly have noticed the increase in the retail price of olive oil. This is due partly to the general increase in UK food prices, partly due to the bad harvest in Spain, the major producer, and in part the decrease in imports of sunflower oil from Ukraine, causing a rise in all cooking oil prices.

There is nothing we can do about the cause and effect, but there may be one or two things you might consider to combat this. For one thing, the rise seems to have made the difference between ordinary and extra virgin much smaller, so it may be worth buying the latter. If you use a lot of oil, it could be worth buying a larger quantity, for example five litres instead one, for a pro rata saving. Finally, there is a trick which the Spanish use which has never really caught on in this country and that is to re-use the oil. You can actually buy a special container with a lid and removable filter to store your oil for the next use. Just be careful not to transfer any unwanted flavours.