Are Greek olive and vegetable spreads ambient shelf-stable?

Yes. Olive tapenades, roasted vegetable and pesto spreads are packed in glass jars under vacuum after pasteurisation, giving 18 to 24 months at ambient. Once opened they should be refrigerated and consumed within 3 to 4 weeks with a clean utensil each time.

What are the standard jar sizes for spreads and tapenades?

Retail: glass jars 90 g, 130 g, 180 g, 220 g and 290 g. Foodservice: 720 g and 1 kg glass or PET, and 3 kg tins for pesto and olive tapenade. Gift and specialty tiers use hexagonal 90 g and 130 g jars with wax capsules on request.

Are your Kalamata olive spreads made from pitted PDO olives?

Yes. Our Kalamata olive spread is produced from de-stoned PDO Kalamata olives blended with Greek EVOO, capers and herbs. The pit removal is done mechanically, then the paste is finished by stone-ground milling for a proper table-olive texture rather than a smooth industrial paste.

How much extra virgin olive oil do your pesto and spreads contain?

Standard pesto contains 20–30% Greek EVOO, with pine nuts, cheese (or a vegan alternative), basil or rocket and garlic. Olive tapenades range from 40% to 55% olives with 8–15% EVOO. Full formulations are shared under NDA on request.

Are the spreads suitable for vegan and vegetarian ranges?

Olive tapenades, roasted vegetable spreads, tomato and basil, and rocket pesto (in the vegan formulation) are certified vegan. Classic basil pesto with Greek pecorino-style cheese is vegetarian. Truffle signature spreads exist in both vegan and dairy variants.

How do spreads perform on a cheese board or charcuterie retail programme?

Kalamata and black olive spreads pair with aged sheep's-milk cheese and cured pork. Green olive spread and muffuletta suit soft cheese and prosciutto. Roasted vegetable and pepper spreads work with fresh cheeses, and truffle spreads elevate an aged Graviera or an alpine hard cheese.

Do you offer gift-box assortments built around spreads?

Yes. Curated gift boxes combining three to six spread jars with olive oil, sea salt and a Greek honey are produced for premium retail and corporate gifting. Boxes can be co-branded from around 500 units per SKU.

Can you develop a signature spread recipe as an exclusive to our brand?

Yes. Exclusive recipe development typically takes 8–12 weeks: brief, three sensory iterations, pilot production, shelf-life challenge test and first commercial run. Exclusivity is granted per market with a defined annual volume commitment.

14 July 2026 · 9 min read

Sourcing Spreads: a buyer's guide from theGreex

Olive, vegetable, pesto and signature Greek spreads. A practical, category-deep guide to sourcing spreads from Greek producers: origin, production, certifications, packaging, applications and buyer tips.

Jars of Greek thyme honey, tahini and chocolate hazelnut spread on a wooden board with fresh sesame and honeycomb.

Overview

The Greek sweet-and-savoury spread category sits between traditional pantry staples (honey, tahini) and modern breakfast and snacking formats (nut butters, chocolate hazelnut, protein spreads). Almost all of it is produced by small and mid-sized specialists rather than multinationals.

For a differentiated grocery or specialty range this is fertile ground: real single-origin ingredients, clean labels, and stories worth telling on shelf.

History

Tahini and honey are ancient Greek foods, both documented since antiquity. The wider spread category, chocolate hazelnut, nut butters, praline and modern breakfast pastes, developed through the 20th and 21st centuries alongside domestic breakfast habits.

Origin

Sesame for tahini historically ties to northern Greece and Thessaloniki. Honey comes from across the country with strong regional identities (thyme honey from Crete, pine honey from the north-east, fir honey from the Peloponnese). Nut spreads cluster near hazelnut and almond growing regions.

Production

Cold-milling for tahini, low-temperature roasting for nut spreads, single-varietal honey extraction and gentle blending for the composite chocolate and praline lines. The premium tier avoids palm oil and heavy stabilisers.

Varieties and signature products

Olive-Based: Kalamata Olive Spread (PDO), Green Olive Spread (Halkidiki), Black Olive Spread, Muffuletta. Veggie & Tomato: Roasted Eggplant Purée, Tomato & Basil Spread, Roasted Vegetables, Red Pepper Spread. Pesto & Signature: Basil Pesto, Rocket Pesto, Sun-dried Tomato Pesto, Truffle Signature Spread.

Certifications

Depending on the sub-range we work with producers holding IFS, BRCGS, ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000 food-safety certifications, alongside PDO, PGI, Organic (BIO) and Halal / Kosher where relevant to your spreads programme. Certificates and specification sheets are shared before order confirmation, not after.

Packaging formats

Retail formats: jars, tins, cups or pouches sized for supermarket and specialty shelves · Foodservice formats: catering pails, larger jars and vacuum packs · Bulk options where applicable, from drums to IBCs · Private-label packaging and artwork coordinated with the producer

Retail

Consumer-ready spreads in shelf-ready formats: glass jars, PET, tins, cups or vacuum packs depending on the sub-range. Suitable for supermarkets, delis, specialty grocers and gourmet gift channels across Europe, the UK, the GCC and beyond.

Foodservice (HoReCa)

Chef-grade spreads in catering formats for hotels, restaurants, caterers and central kitchens. Balanced flavour profiles, consistent supply and specification sheets that make menu planning straightforward.

Bulk

Bulk spreads for repackers, blenders, industrial users and downstream processors. Tank, drum, IBC and food-grade bag-in-box options where available, with certificates of analysis and traceability to the producer.

Private Label

Full private-label programmes for spreads: recipe fine-tuning, packaging artwork coordination, label compliance for EU, UK, GCC and other target markets, plus MOQs that work for growing brands rather than only for the largest importers.

Export information

We export spreads from Greece to buyers across the EU, the United Kingdom, the GCC (Saudi Arabia, UAE and neighbours), with active projects in Japan and North America. Shipments run ex works, FCA, FOB or CIF according to your Incoterms preference, consolidated with other Greek products where a full container is not yet on the table.

Buyer tips

Read the ingredient panel end to end. For tahini, check hulled vs unhulled and the origin of the sesame. For honey, ask for the varietal, region and, ideally, a pollen analysis. For chocolate spreads, cocoa content and the fat system tell you almost everything about quality.

Related products in our range

Signature spreads lines currently on our offer include Kalamata Olive Spread (PDO), Green Olive Spread (Halkidiki), Black Olive Spread, Muffuletta, Roasted Eggplant Purée, Tomato & Basil Spread. Each has its own dedicated sourcing page with production notes, packaging options and FAQs.

Frequently asked

Buyer questions we hear most often

Are Greek olive and vegetable spreads ambient shelf-stable?: Yes. Olive tapenades, roasted vegetable and pesto spreads are packed in glass jars under vacuum after pasteurisation, giving 18 to 24 months at ambient. Once opened they should be refrigerated and consumed within 3 to 4 weeks with a clean utensil each time.
What are the standard jar sizes for spreads and tapenades?: Retail: glass jars 90 g, 130 g, 180 g, 220 g and 290 g. Foodservice: 720 g and 1 kg glass or PET, and 3 kg tins for pesto and olive tapenade. Gift and specialty tiers use hexagonal 90 g and 130 g jars with wax capsules on request.
Are your Kalamata olive spreads made from pitted PDO olives?: Yes. Our Kalamata olive spread is produced from de-stoned PDO Kalamata olives blended with Greek EVOO, capers and herbs. The pit removal is done mechanically, then the paste is finished by stone-ground milling for a proper table-olive texture rather than a smooth industrial paste.
How much extra virgin olive oil do your pesto and spreads contain?: Standard pesto contains 20–30% Greek EVOO, with pine nuts, cheese (or a vegan alternative), basil or rocket and garlic. Olive tapenades range from 40% to 55% olives with 8–15% EVOO. Full formulations are shared under NDA on request.
Are the spreads suitable for vegan and vegetarian ranges?: Olive tapenades, roasted vegetable spreads, tomato and basil, and rocket pesto (in the vegan formulation) are certified vegan. Classic basil pesto with Greek pecorino-style cheese is vegetarian. Truffle signature spreads exist in both vegan and dairy variants.
How do spreads perform on a cheese board or charcuterie retail programme?: Kalamata and black olive spreads pair with aged sheep's-milk cheese and cured pork. Green olive spread and muffuletta suit soft cheese and prosciutto. Roasted vegetable and pepper spreads work with fresh cheeses, and truffle spreads elevate an aged Graviera or an alpine hard cheese.
Do you offer gift-box assortments built around spreads?: Yes. Curated gift boxes combining three to six spread jars with olive oil, sea salt and a Greek honey are produced for premium retail and corporate gifting. Boxes can be co-branded from around 500 units per SKU.
Can you develop a signature spread recipe as an exclusive to our brand?: Yes. Exclusive recipe development typically takes 8–12 weeks: brief, three sensory iterations, pilot production, shelf-life challenge test and first commercial run. Exclusivity is granted per market with a defined annual volume commitment.

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