We Bring Value

The food we eat should mirror the beauty and abundance of the earth and nature’s ecosystem; inspiring us to enjoy the present moment with people and loved ones. When we sit together to eat, we share, and this strengthens our connection to the planet and our community.

MEET JANELL

Janell is the owner and co-founder of Olive This Olive That. Her partner, Mary, supported her in opening and establishing OTOT in June 2012. She now owns and operates OTOT along with her team. Mary helps fix things when needed and gets paid in olive oil.

Love Affair with Olive Oil

Discovering fresh extra virgin olive oil was an epiphany that changed the course of Janell’s life and her cooking.

She now shares her knowledge and love of extra virgin, California agriculture, and holistic approach to health wellness with others. Her tribe are those who are also creating a healthier lifestyle with a greater personal connection through fresh and locally sourced foods.

  • Dedicated to educating and helping others in the kitchen

    Janell is a creative entrepreneur who is known for thinking outside the box, bringing community together, and inspiring others to get creative while keeping it super simple in the kitchen. She believes good health is a right, not a luxury, and is dedicated to educating and helping others have more aha moments and fewer uh oh moments in the kitchen. Join Janell and Olive This Olive That on the journey of elevated living through good food and vibrant wellness from the inside out!

    MORE THAN AN OLIVE OIL SHOP: Expertise, Customer Service, Connection

    Over the years, Olive This Olive That has become known as the go-to place for quality and authentic extra virgin olive oil and expertise. Come taste with us to learn what to look for in fresh extra virgin and rich vinegar.

    We’ve also become known for our deep care and connection to our customers. We’ve become a sweet community. We see you! We love you! And we love seeing you walk through our doors.

  • On Becoming a Sensory Professional & The California Olive Oil Council (COOC)

    Sensory? Fresh olive oil is evaluated and determined through our senses, particularly smell and taste. 

    A simple product isn’t so simple. 

    Shortly after opening OTOT, Janell took a deep dive into sensory education with the California Olive Oil Council (COOC) to learn, understand, and evaluate olive oil for quality (and defects) on a much more professional level.

    After many years of committed tasting and education, she became a certified panel member with the COOC. Every year, the COOC evaluates and certifies hundreds of olive oils for the top quality extra virgin designation.

    Her commitment to quality has been featured in Food + Wine magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, 7×7 magazine, and numerous local Bay Area publications.

    In 2020 she partnered up with fellow olive oil sommelier Erin Ridley and launched PRMRY, a high-end olive brand, with the mission to make it easier to choose, use, and enjoy extra virgin olive oil.

    Join us for our tasting experiences.

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Cultivating Community Through Food

After traveling abroad for almost 15 years she decided to hang up her passport for a while and return home to teach ESL at a local Bay Area Community College. As fate would have it she was faced with hard times as so many people were in 2008 and decided to finally embrace entrepreneurship after finding love. She and her new partner co-found an olive oil shop in Noe Valley in 2o12 when OLIVE THIS OLIVE THAT WAS BORN!

But it wasn’t easy sailing from the start and there was a huge learning curve. Right away she discovered the difference between commodity oil and boutique oil. She learned that lesson the hard way, but with each lesson along the way, she has grown in knowledge and her mission today is to help people have more aha moments in the kitchen vs. uh-oh moments.

She took a deep dive into sensory education with the California Olive Oil Council (COOC). After many years of committed tasting and education, she was invited to become an apprentice with the COOC sensory panel and eventually went on to become a certified panel member and is considered one of the most knowledgeable olive oil experts in the Bay Area and has been featured in Food + Wine magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, 7×7 magazine, and numerous local Bay Area publications.

In 2020 she partnered up with fellow olive oil sommelier Erin Ridley and launched a high-end olive brand, PMRY with the mission to make it easier to choose, use, and enjoy Extra Virgin Olive Oil.