The water wheel at the Opio Mill hasn’t turned for 20 years now as modern electricity now powers the mill stones and presses to extract the olive oil. However, tradition is not something we take lightly. For 150 years the same family have overseen the development of one of the last local olive oil producers.

It all began in 1848 when Mr Authion took over this age-old business. The mill wheel turned quietly for nearly a century until Roger Michel inherited the business during the 1960s and decided to shake things up. He aimed high and built a second, bigger mill to increase production. A success, the modern, competitive mill flourished whilst other local mills closed down one after the other. And today as olive oil has become more popular than ever before, the Opio Mill continues to thrive.

”My family were able to combine tradition and modernity” says Christine Michel, the current director of the Mill “Therefore we never turned our backs on our original trade, we still work in the same way, pressing 700-800 tons of olives a year for small businesses and even individuals. Anyone can bring us their olives and go away with their own olive oil, 4-5 olive trees are enough. We refuse to sacrifice our reputation for the sake of commercialism, and we have always refused to produce poor quality products. We also produce our own oil, between 150 to 180 tons of oil which we sell in our own shop (located in the Old Mill) and other hand-picked shops nearby.

The business has been so successful that the Michel family are planning to expand the Mill. Another modern mill is planned in the near future and will double the production of olive oil. “I have high hopes for the project and I’m reassured for the future of the Mill when I see my 12 year old son Julien tell his father exactly where we should install the new mill and workshop”