Bill Sanders' First Fresh Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Dear Kickstarter Backers:

Bill Sanders' First Fresh Extra Virgin Olive Oil will soon become a reality.  The product name and character of the oil reflects my long time mantra, "Fresh is Best."  And fresh it is.

First Fresh is an exclusive custom blend of three olive varieties, arbequina (70%), manzanilla (20%) and ascolano (10%), produced near Corning, California from 19th, 20th and 21st century trees.   Each variety lends something special: arbequina's extra fruity aroma;  manzanilla's rich, velvety and buttery texture; and despite only 10% of the blend, the spicy, peppery finish from ascolano. This spicy freshness is packed full of heart-kickin' polyphenols/antioxidants and flavor.  Adding this nectar to your pantry and kitchen table will elevate any healthy lifestyle.

First Fresh is certified as extra virgin by the California Olive Oil Council and is kosher certified by KOF-K.org.   Because we will always do our best to offer you olive oil from the current season, the harvest date, "Fall 2011 Harvest," is clearly visible on the front of the label.  Like all of us, time is not olive oil's friend.

Early tastings, in which some were blind, have sparked high praise from top grocers, chefs,  restauranteurs, foodies, and newbies to olive oil.  "Fresh" and "delicious"are words most commonly used to describe the oil.  One legendary grocer remarked, "This oil is so delicious you can charge whatever you want."  Rest assured, we will maintain a fair and affordable price.  I'm exceptionally proud of this olive oil and want more Americans to experience the pleasure and enrichment of an authentic, fresh extra virgin olive oil, or what Socrates called, "Liquid Gold."

Because the all-important Kosher supervision process caused a two week delay in printing the label, your olive oil will be shipped or available for pick up in early April. Your Tunisian olive wood pieces and pantry items will be available at that time, too.  

Orders for First Fresh are being accepted now.  Construction on the website, sandersfirstfresh.com, will commence soon and will be linked to the current online store crushandpress.com

First Fresh will be available to consumers online at crushandpress.com, but our primary objective is to make this conveniently available at your local neighborhood market.  As Kickstarter backers, I hope you also become disciples of First Fresh and  feed us potential retail outlets. Please ask the market or specialty shop where you shop regularly to contact us, or better yet, send us the name of the store and we will contact them.  My email address is bill@crushandpress.com

To My Kickstarter Backers:

This is an update on the progress of my Kickstarter project to release my first extra virgin olive oil.  My good friend Jean Benoît Hugues,who produces one of the great olive oils in the world, Castelas extra virgin olive oil in Provence, France, told me at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco last week:  "You don't have a private label olive oil. Whole Foods and Safeway have private labels.  You have your OWN olive oil." I like that.

Olive Oil Source & Blend

The source for olive oil and the blend have been selected.  The olive oil is produced near Corning, California, the Napa of olive oil, and will be a blend of three cultivars (varieties): arbequina (70%), manzanilla (20%) and ascolano (10%). The latter two were produced from trees at least a century-old adding complexity, character and longevity to the liquid gold. 

As for timing, the oil is currently settling to allow removal of sediment from particles of skin, pulp and seeds.  Racking should conclude by the middle of Feburary which is the siphoning of the oil off of the sediment at the bottom of the tank.  Bottling should begin the last half of February and be ready to ship the first of March.  As shipping gets nearer and more defined, I'll be able to give you a better estimated time of arrival for your oil.  Release events will be scheduled in Washington, DC and Kentucky upon arrival of the oil.  More on that later.

Brand, Product Name & Label

The label, product name and brand identity should be finalized and ready to share with you within the next two weeks.  A name for the product has also been chosen, but legal rights must be secured before going public.   The name and look are classic and exciting. Jean Benoît's response to the first draft was: "It says trust!"

Olive Wood Dish and Fork from Tunisia

Finally! Finally! Finally! The shipment of the Tunisian pieces has arrived, but not without drama.  An airline mixed my name and address with a shipment to San Francisco.  My son, Marshall, discovered how difficult clearing a parcel from customs can be with the wrong name on the box. Despite his valiant efforts and being a former employee of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, he got a resounding, "NO!"  That was on December 29.  I drove 13 fruitless hours the following day to no avail.  Finally after employing a freight broker and tangling with the awful Lacy Act (deals with deforestation) the parcel was cleared and in my possession three weeks later.  This story has a lovely ending. The olive oil pieces are beautiful and will bring you many years (decades) of enjoyment. 

Given this delay and the expected arrival of the olive oil in March, I prefer to deliver (shipping or pick up) the olive wood and the olive oil together to reduce shipping expense. If for any reason, however, you want the olive wood pieces now, I will be happy to send them to you. Please let me know.  For those receiving one or both olive oil pieces, but no bottles of olive oil, these will be shipped this week (watching football and addressing envelopes). 

Recipe Booklet and Pantry List

The digital recipe booklet and pantry list is a work-in-progress and will be available in the near future.  The booklet will focus on uses of olive oil. Last week I attended an olive oil conference at the Culinary Institute of America-Greystone in Napa's St. Helena.  Incorporating some fun stuff from chefs Paul Bartolotta, Steve Wynn Casino Resort, and Bill Briwa, chef instructor at the CIA, will be a worthwhile addition.  

As a final note, I want to again thank you for your generous support of this project.  It's exciting to see the momentum building.  This would not be happening without you.  I am forever grateful.

On this Christmas Eve, I want to wish everyone a joyful and safe holiday season. Again, I want to thank you for making this a special holiday season by kickstarting my dream to launch my private label extra virgin olive oil.  

To provide a brief update, here are some  highlights. I recently returned from a trip to California visiting potential olive oil sources. I'll make a final decision the first of January, but am 95% sure of my source.  The olive oil is outstanding with about 30% of the blend from century-old manzanilla and ascolano trees from northern California (pic below). While in Washington, DC this past week conducting olive oil and wine events for Safeway, and awaiting the arrival of the Tunisian olive wood pieces, I shared the recently harvested olive oil with restauranteurs, chefs, foodies, and friends.  The reviews were exceptional--a crowd pleaser!

Now for the saga of the Tunisian olive wood pieces, there has been a trail of learning experiences.  This story will be limited to the latest chapter.  Earlier this week, I was about to seek the services of Robert Downey, Jr. (Sherlock Holmes) and Judd Law (Dr. Watson) to solve the mystery of the missing olive wood shipment.  After my Tunisian friend Rached's persistent probing and screaming, a certain nameless airline finally confessed to their transgressions.  The olive wood pieces finally arrived in London, yesterday.  At this writing, the shipment is on American Airlines Cargo (not the earlier transgressor) over the Atlantic Ocean heading to Miami, and then on to Dulles in Washington, DC on the 26th.   I'm on my knees apologizing for not shipping these to you prior to the holidays, as promised.  This has been disappointing, but the olive wood experience has confirmed my decision to source my first olive oil domestically.  When dealing with oceans, currencies and the unexpected too much can go wrong.  

On a final exciting note, the brand identity, product name and label design are in development.  Completion is scheduled for the middle of January. 

Enjoy this special time of year with your family and friends.  Merry Christmas and a very healthy and prosperous 2012.  

All the best,

Bill Sanders  

After 33 days and your amazing support and encouragement, BY GOLLY, WE DID IT!  Thank you for giving my olive oil dream a swift kick start.  The final tally is $23,525 with 132 backers from at least 17 states, District of Columbia, United Kingdom, and Switzerland.  Additionally, 767 folks have clicked "Like" on Facebook.  Now the work has begun and your backer rewards are in the works. 

This was a "WE," not an "I" effort. In addition to pledging your hard earned dollars in a tough economy, many of you sent emails to friends; shared the project link on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and other media; and simply talked up the project to anyone who would listen.  Special thanks to Marla Toncray for her marvelous full page article about the project that was published in the local newspaper. Of course, Sanura Weathers for her comprehensive interview in her popular blog "My Life Runs on Food."  Also thanks to Libby Allen and John Lee who pushed me to consider Kickstarter.com. 

This was a 33 day running roller coaster.  At every point when momentum needed fuel, there was always somebody there to push through the barrier.  In the beginning Florence Deviliers, owner of the fabulous Fench Bistro Lavandou Restaurant in Washington, DC, who catapulted me out of the gate on the third day. There was my dearest friend Charlie Grizzle, who was an early MO factor and effectively shared the project in his network. Of course, Tony Royalty, my old college Republican bud from the University of Kentucky, who made this happen beyond all expectations.  The final day was a rush of joyful surprises with over $2,200 raised, nearly 10%.   It was as if I was watching election returns in a tight race.  From the feedback I've received, many of you were feeling the same.  We won!

I'll spare you from mentioning everyone, which you deserve, but please know each of the 132 backers will comprise my band of brothers and sisters forever.  The footprint goes far beyond this special group.  This campaign has created awareness among thousands of invitations to speak to groups such as a chapter of SLOW FOOD, while attracting interest from potential outside investors. After all, more than the funds to take this product to a bigger stage.

And finally a mega thank you and hug to my first backer on day one, my son, Marshall, who continued to promote the project through his valuable network. I love you, Marsh. Now I would like to ask for your prayful concerns and thoughts for my daugher, Lindsay Rhodes, and her supportive husband, Clay.  During the life of this Kickstarter project, she's been in a Nashville hospital carrying her second child, a little girl. She's 32 weeks into the pregnancy and is expected to deliver in two weeks, which will be at least 6 weeks pre-mature.  Please think of her, Clay and 2 year-old Sanders.  We need another extraordinary outcome.

This Kickstarter project began 31 days ago at zero.  Now with a little over 48 hours remaining until the project closes, 102 backers have pledged $20,705. Continuing to push the project until Wednesday at 3:01 am, Oct. 26 is needed.  My objective over the next two days is to surpass $23,000.  Please share the project with your friends and family.  For their pledges they may be eligible to receive one or more bottles of high quality extra virgin olive oil and beautiful Tunisian olive wood pieces for entertaining.  Thank you for your pledges and please know how grateful I am for your support.