Unlike the Beverly Hillbillies who struck crude oil, Craig Doughtery and his partner, Bob Thrift, owners of High Country Olive Oil, aren’t millionaires but they have found their niche in the oil business.
They have two locations for High Country Olive Oil, in Aiken and Pawleys Island, where they sell high-quality olive oil and a variety of balsamic vinegar.
Thrift had retired and Doughtery was winding up 20 years in the car business when they partnered to look for a small business concept. The idea came from visiting an olive oil shop in Pinehurst, N.C.
“We opened in Aiken in 2011. We plugged into this wonderful community and have been a success since Day 1,” said Doughtery.
Through Covid and now a recession, they continue to do well, despite closing an Augusta location at the back of the Surrey Center.
“Customers love being able to sample the 42 flavors of olive oil and balsamic vinegar we feature,” he said.
Area restaurateurs also use frequent High Country Olive Oil because “they can taste test and incorporate the flavors into their recipes.”
Even if you aren’t a professional chef, but cook for your family, what’s the difference between picking up a bottle of olive oil on the shelf of your local grocer and buying from High Country?
“Freshness and the fact that volume producers are more concerned with the bottom line,” Doughtery said, “and often the oil you buy at the grocery store comes in plastic bottles. Look for olive oil in dark glass bottles with less than .4% acidity.”
High Country utilizes the market slogan, “Come taste what’s good for you.” Chef Emeril Lagasse would second that. He swears by good olive oil for cooking.
There’s a little more to it than taste. Olive oil is high in antioxidants and is said to reduce blood pressure and lower cholesterol.
If you try it for cooking, learn how to store it. Doughtery said the enemy of olive oil is light because it causes oxidation. He recommends storing it in a dark cabinet which increases the lifespan from 12 to 18 months.
“Tuscan Herb is our number one selling olive oil, but mushroom sage is my personal favorite,” he said.
According to Fortune Business Insights, the value of the olive oil market was 13 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach almost 17 billion by 2027.
About 75 percent of High Country’s business is from walk-in customers but the online business is growing, which is why they offer seasonal discounts and gift packages.
Doughtery and Thrift aren’t moving their business to Beverly Hills that is, anytime soon. For now, Doughtery said, “We’re just keeping the business lamps lit with olive oil as Moses did.”
For more information about High Country Olive Oil, visit their website or Facebook.
Editor’s Note:
Mitzi Oxford is a veteran broadcaster and features writer who also worked at the same television station in Columbus, Georgia as Augusta’s Brad Means!
If you have a South Carolina story idea for Mitzi, please email her at mitzioxfordcreative@gmail.com.
