Zaytoun is a community interest company. It was founded in 2004 to support the resilience and livelihoods of Palestinian farmers under occupation through fairly trading their olive oil. Initially funded by hundreds of customers who put up payment in advance of receiving their oil, Zaytoun quickly established itself as a UK social enterprise. With funding from Triodos Bank the company developed to offer a wide range of Palestinian artisan foods and supported Palestinian farmers to pioneer the world’s first Fairtrade certified olive oil in 2009, sold through the UK market.

We promote Zaytoun products as part of our solidarity with the people of Palestine. It should be borne in mind that all these products are grown and made in areas under military occupation. In particular Palestinian olive trees are regularly chopped and burned and olive-picking parties are attacked by Israeli settlers.

Zaytoun and their products get a big thumbs-up in a TV chef programme that you can watch HERE: their ten-minute slot starts three minutes in.

Dates

Dates are one of the world’s oldest cultivated fruits and thrive in Palestine on the fertile soils around the ancient city of Jericho. Medjoul dates are known as the ‘King of Dates’ due to their size and rich caramel succulence. These dates are high in fibre and potassium, with a natural sweetness that makes them a delicious treat any time of the day.

Sizes normally available 250g, 500g and sometimes a 5kg box. Our normal stall prices are £4 for 250g and £7.50 for 500g.

Olive oil

Produced from rain-fed and hand-picked olives that have been pressed on the day of picking, this award-winning extra virgin oil connects you with farmers whose ancestors have tended their trees by hand for countless generations. The cultivation of Palestinian olives is increasingly under threat from the violent acts of Israeli settlers. Naturally organic and ethically sourced from small-scale farmers in the West bank, this is the world’s first olive oil to be awarded Fairtrade certification in 2009. It is thicker than most olive oils.

Quantities normally available are 500ml and 750ml, all in glass bottles. Our normal stall prices are £11 for 500ml and £16 for 750ml

Soap

Zaytoun’s soap contains 72% olive oil which is sourced from Palestinian olive farmers in the Nablus region. The ancient city of Nablus has been producing soap since the 10th Century. The soap is made and cut by hand in soap houses by skilled craftsmen. It is naturally cleansing & suitable for all skin types including oily skin. The most distinctive fragrances are lemon and sage.

Available as individual tablets or in gift-packs of four tablets. Our normal stall prices are £3.50 individual and £14 gift-pack.

Za’atar

Za’atar is an aromatic herb mix produced from an indigenous variety of thyme that can be used as a dip, topping or seasoning. The thyme is mixed by hand with sea salt, toasted sesame and sumac.It is traditionally eaten with olive oil and freshly-baked bread, or used to season meat, fish, salad or roasted vegetables. Note that Palestinians are not allowed by the Israelis to pick zaatar as explained in THIS ARTICLE. So your jar of zaatar is one that got away!

Size normally available: 80g. Our normal stall price is £3.

Almonds

These Fairtrade Palestinian almonds are named after Om al-Fahem, the ancient village where this large, crunchy variety originated.

Picked and shelled by hand, they are harvested in late summer and dried in the sun.

Size normally available: 150g. Our normal stall price is £4.50.