Entrepreneur UK's London 100: Citizens of Soil
Citizens of Soil is the fastest-growing premium olive oil in the UK. Launched in 2021, with funding support from Virgin StartUp, the business has become the olive oil of choice for Michelin-starred chefs in some of London's top restaurants, and stocked in Waitrose, Ocado, Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, Booths, and Abel & Cole.
Led by olive oil sommelier, Sarah Vachon, Citizens of Soil sources directly from small-scale farmers, and champions the remarkable women who make their award-winning oils. On a mission to disrupt the industry, the brand only sources from producers who practise regenerative farming and the B Corp accredited brand establishes fair pay with suppliers from the beginning.
With their Olive Oil Club becoming the leading extra virgin olive oil subscription in the UK, the business continues to find ways to innovate and improve. It was the first brand to introduce olive oil refillable pouches in UK supermarkets in 2023 and last year released a zero-waste, single-serve olive oil pipette in partnership with Earthshot prize-winning Notpla.
From sourcing from just two suppliers in 2022, the business has grown rapidly in the last three years to include a community of twelve olive producers. Turnover has increased by 341% year on year and direct sales have rocketed by 588% over the same period, fuelled by a 10X increase in members of their Olive Oil Club.
In March 2025, the company announced it had raised £1.8m in funding to continue the growth of their brand, with plans to continue growing their Olive Oil Club, release more first-to-market innovations in the category, and expand internationally.
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