Oil Mill

Olesa has always been noted for its olive growing activity. A defining feature of the municipality is its own native variety of olive, the palomar or Olesan olive, which is used to produce an oil that is unique throughout the world, of excellent quality, smooth and balanced.

The olives are pressed at the Oil Mill located on Carrer Clota, which is managed by the Fundació Agrícola Olesana.

Also known as Premsa Nova, the mill was built in 1912 by the association of local producers to overcome problems with the other local mills. There were as many as twelve mills in Olesa in the 18th and 19th centuries.

From the beginning, the Oil Mill incorporated the latest technological advances of the day. To turn the stones that press the olives, animal traction was replaced with electricity, making use of the technology already applied in the textile industry.

Very soon the mill was too small to keep up with production, and in 1913 an expansion was begun with the construction of a plant with 12 Catalan vaults, which are practically the same today and can be viewed on a visit to the building.

The last major technological update was carried out in 2006. The traditional presses were replaced with a modern two-phase decanter as part of a decisive commitment to improve the quality of the oil obtained. In subsequent years, other improvements have been made to the mill’s facilities, with the incorporation of machinery for cleaning the olives prior to preparing the oil and a new ecological centrifuge that reduces water consumption. All this has helped improve the quality of Olesan oil.

Olesan oil can be bought at the store of the Fundació Agrícola Olesana (Carrer de Miquel Coll i Alentorn, 3) or directly from the Oliveràires Palomar Olesana agricultural processing plant and head office of the foundation (Carrer de Josep Anselm Clavé, 94).