Strictly Olive Oil

Nancy Ash enjoys leading olive oil tasting classes for professionals and consumers alike. “The best part of teaching olive oil classes”, enthuses Nancy, “is seeing the look of recognition of a particular flavor on someone’s face. That look tells me that the student has made a connection from the theoretical to the physical in their sensory training.”

Nancy has conducted panel taster training sessions in the U.S. and Europe, and has led classes for Les Dames d’Escoffier San Francisco chapter, Slow Foods East Bay, and the California Olive Oil Council as well as private clients. She has recently begun teaching tasting classes online.

Is your company or group interested in learning more about olive oil? Contact Nancy here.

Nancy Ash, President of Strictly Olive Oil LLC, is a marketing consultant to domestic and foreign producers and also teaches sensory assessment classes to trade and consumer groups.  She has over 25 years’ experience in the sales and marketing of specialty food products, with a focus on high quality olive oil.

Nancy has been an advocate for California’s olive oil industry since 1996, when she began working with a handful of producers during the early years of this industry’s renaissance.  As an original member of the California Olive Oil Council Taste Panel, Nancy has over 20 years’ experience assessing olive oil, and received her certification as a Taste Panel Supervisor from the Organizzazione Nazoinale Assaggiatori Olio di Oliva in Imperia, Italy in December 2005.  Nancy was the 2011 recipient of the coveted C.O.O.C. Pioneer Award in recognition of her work in olive oil education.

Internationally, Nancy worked for several years with Manicaretti, an importer of Italian specialty foods, and continues to consult with foreign artisanal producers on market opportunities in the U.S.  She has also worked with economic development programs; from 2007-2010 Nancy developed a taste panel and national competition for the country of Albania through U.S.A.I.D.-funded programs, and from 2010-2012 she led a team of U.S.-based consultants in the development of marketing strategies for Palestinian olive oil producers through a project funded by IFC, a member of the World Bank group.

Nancy has judged several olive oil competitions, and has served as the Head Judge for the C.O.O.C., California State Fair, San Joaquin Valley, and Good Food Awards Olive Oil Competitions.

Strictly Olive Oil’s story began in 1985 when it was founded by Betty Pustarfi. As a retailer, Betty sought a better way to educate consumers about quality and flavors of olive oil which led her to introduce the concept of oil tasting “bars” where customers could compare oils from regions around the world. This consumer experience, used extensively today, resulted in increased sales of high-quality olive oils at higher price points than the supermarket competition.

In June 2006 Betty sold Strictly Olive Oil to Nancy Ash and retired. Though not a retailer, Nancy continued Betty’s educational outreach while assisting producers and importers with marketing and business strategies as well as quality control. Strictly Olive Oil registered as a California LLC in 2012.