Why FOLI Belongs in Every Food Lover's Kitchen

You can tell a lot about a food brand by what it chooses not to make.

Some companies build ranges that stretch into hundreds of products. FOLI has taken a different route.

The collection consists of just three bottles:

• A premium extra virgin olive oil from Andalucía
• A naturally aged balsamic vinegar from Modena
• A classic French dressing made with extra virgin olive oil.

At first glance, it doesn't sound particularly ambitious. In reality, it says everything about the brand.

Rather than chasing trends or expanding for the sake of it, FOLI has focused on three ingredients that form the backbone of everyday cooking. The bottles you'll reach for without thinking, whether you're dressing a salad, finishing roasted vegetables or tearing into warm bread before dinner.

That philosophy feels unmistakably Mediterranean.

Across Spain and Italy, some of the most memorable meals aren't built around long ingredient lists or complicated techniques. They're built around exceptional produce, cooked simply and finished with ingredients that deserve to be tasted in their own right.

FOLI follows that same thinking.

• Its olive oil is produced from Picuda olives grown in Córdoba, one of Spain's most respected olive-growing regions.
• Its balsamic vinegar is matured in Modena using traditional methods.
• The French dressing starts with an ingredient many bottled dressings use surprisingly little of: extra virgin olive oil.

At Infusions4chefs, we're fortunate enough to discover products from all over the world, from specialist pantry ingredients to restaurant favourites. FOLI caught our attention because it isn't trying to reinvent anything. It's simply a collection of everyday essentials made exceptionally well.

Great Olive Oil Isn't Just for Cooking

Spend enough time around people who love food and you'll notice something surprising.

Very few of them talk about olive oil in terms of calories, smoke points or nutritional claims.

They talk about flavour.

That's because a really good extra virgin olive oil isn't simply a cooking fat. It's an ingredient in its own right, capable of changing the character of a dish with nothing more than a final drizzle.

Think about the last time you ate something wonderfully simple. Perhaps it was burrata with ripe tomatoes, grilled asparagus, roasted courgettes or a bowl of pasta finished with Parmesan. Chances are, there wasn't much on the plate. The ingredients didn't need hiding behind rich sauces or complicated techniques. They just needed to be good.

Olive oil often plays the quietest role in those dishes, but it's usually the ingredient that brings everything together.

One of the reasons olive oils taste so different is that they're made from different varieties of olives, much like wine is made from different grape varieties. Climate, soil, harvest timing and production methods all leave their mark, meaning two bottles labelled extra virgin olive oil can have completely different personalities.

FOLI EVOO is made using Picuda olives, a variety grown in Córdoba, in the heart of Andalucía. Picuda olives are known for producing an oil that's beautifully balanced, with delicate fruitiness, subtle floral notes, hints of almond and a gentle peppery finish. It's an elegant olive rather than an overpowering one, making it incredibly versatile at the table.

Just as importantly, the olives are mechanically extracted, without heat or chemical refining. This gentle process preserves the oil's natural aromas and the compounds that give exceptional olive oil its distinctive character.

You may have heard people talk about polyphenols, especially when discussing premium olive oil. It sounds technical, but the effect is something you've almost certainly tasted. That gentle peppery warmth at the back of your throat and the slight pleasant bitterness found in many high-quality extra virgin olive oils are signs of these naturally occurring plant compounds. They're part of what gives fresh olive oil its complexity and vibrant flavour.

Perhaps the biggest shift in thinking is this: treat great olive oil less like something to cook with and more like something to finish with.

Drizzle it over grilled vegetables just before serving. Spoon it onto creamy burrata. Finish a bowl of soup. Pour it over warm sourdough with a pinch of flaky sea salt. Even the simplest tomato salad becomes something memorable when every ingredient is allowed to shine.

That's where FOLI feels most at home. Not dominating the plate, but quietly making everything else taste a little more like itself.

Why Authentic Balsamic Is Worth Discovering

Balsamic vinegar has become one of those ingredients we think we know.

It's in supermarket cupboards across the country, squeezed over salads, stirred into sauces and reduced into glossy glazes. But once you start looking a little closer, you realise not every bottle is telling the same story.

Authentic balsamic has its roots in Modena, a city in northern Italy that's been producing balsamic vinegar for centuries. It's a place where tradition still matters, and where generations of producers have refined techniques that rely on patience rather than shortcuts.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that a good balsamic should be thick enough to cling dramatically to the side of the bottle.

In reality, thickness alone tells you very little.

Some balsamic vinegars achieve that syrupy consistency through added caramel colouring, starches or thickeners. A traditionally produced balsamic develops its character more naturally, beginning with cooked grape must and wine vinegar before time works its magic.

What you're looking for isn't just viscosity. It's balance.

A good balsamic should taste gently sweet, but never sugary. Rich, but still lively. Tangy enough to brighten a dish without making you wince. It should add depth rather than dominate.

That's exactly the approach FOLI has taken.

Its Premium Mature Balsamic Vinegar is produced in Modena using cooked grape must and wine vinegar before being naturally matured to develop its rounded flavour. There are no added caramel colourings or preservatives masking the process. The deep colour and mellow sweetness come from careful production rather than clever shortcuts.

Like a great olive oil, it's often at its best when it's allowed to speak for itself.

Drizzle it over ripe tomatoes and mozzarella, where its gentle acidity cuts through the creaminess without overwhelming the fruit. Add a few drops to roasted beetroot or caramelised onions to bring out their natural sweetness. Finish grilled peaches with a little balsamic and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or pour it over strawberries for one of Italy's simplest and most satisfying desserts.

It's also the perfect partner to FOLI Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil. A shallow dish, a warm loaf of sourdough and a pinch of flaky sea salt are often all you need to understand why these two ingredients have shared tables across the Mediterranean for generations.

The Secret to a Really Good French Dressing

French dressing doesn't usually get much attention. It's often picked up without much thought, tucked into the fridge and poured over a salad when time is short. Yet it's one of the hardest things to get right.

A good dressing shouldn't announce itself before you've taken the first bite. It should quietly bring everything on the plate into balance. That's why the ingredients matter.

The best French dressings aren't built around sugar or vinegar. They're built around the oil.

It provides the body, carries the flavour and gives the dressing its silky texture. The mustard adds warmth rather than heat. The vinegar lifts the richness. Honey softens the sharper edges, while garlic and black pepper add just enough savoury depth to keep everything in balance.

When those elements are in proportion, the dressing doesn't overpower the food. It simply gives every ingredient a little more definition.

That's the approach FOLI has taken.

Its Classic French Dressing starts with 50% Spanish extra virgin olive oil, supported by Aceto Balsamico di Modena PGI, cold-pressed rapeseed oil, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic and black pepper. Nothing feels out of place because every ingredient has been included for a reason.

One thing you may notice is that the dressing naturally thickens, particularly if it's stored somewhere cool. That's completely normal. Extra virgin olive oil begins to become more viscous as the temperature drops. It's one of the reasons high-quality olive oil can look cloudy or even partially solidify in a cold pantry or refrigerator. Simply give the bottle a shake and, as it warms, it returns to its usual silky consistency.

In many ways, that's reassuring rather than inconvenient. It's a reminder that the dressing is built around real olive oil, not simply flavoured to taste like it.

And while it's called a French dressing, don't stop at salad. It's just as good spooned over warm new potatoes, roasted carrots, grilled courgettes, peppery rocket, green beans or tossed through lentils while they're still warm enough to soak up every last drop.

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Ten Delicious Ways to Use the FOLI Collection

• Tear burrata over grilled peaches and finish with olive oil and balsamic.
• Spoon French dressing through warm Jersey Royals with chives.
• Drizzle olive oil over vanilla ice cream with flaky sea salt.
• Finish mushroom risotto with olive oil instead of butter.
• Dress grilled watermelon with balsamic and feta.
• Toss butter beans with French dressing, parsley and lemon zest.
• Pour olive oil over houmous with toasted dukkah.
• Add balsamic to roasted cherries and serve with mascarpone.
• Dress charred broccoli while it's still warm.
• Mix olive oil and balsamic as a dip for warm focaccia.

Why We Chose to Stock FOLI

At Infusions4chefs, we're always discovering new products. Some stand out because they're completely different to anything else on the market. Others introduce exciting flavours or new techniques that inspire fresh ideas in the kitchen.

FOLI caught our attention for almost the opposite reason.

It doesn't reinvent olive oil, balsamic vinegar or French dressing. Instead, it reminds you why these ingredients became kitchen staples in the first place.

After tasting the range, what impressed us wasn't one dramatic flavour or a clever marketing story. It was the balance. The olive oil tasted clean, fresh and beautifully rounded. The balsamic delivered richness without becoming overly sweet, while the French dressing managed something surprisingly difficult: it tasted like a dressing made from quality ingredients rather than a collection of flavourings.

There's also something refreshing about a brand that knows exactly what it wants to be.

Instead of producing dozens of variations, FOLI has focused on three bottles that work beautifully on their own and even better together. That confidence, combined with carefully sourced ingredients and thoughtful production, is what convinced us they deserved a place in the Infusions4chefs range.

The bottles themselves tell the same story.

Designed to interlock, they slot neatly together to create a striking display on the worktop or dining table. It's an unusual detail that feels both practical and beautifully considered. Whether they're lined up beside the hob, displayed on open shelving or placed in the centre of the table for everyone to help themselves, they're designed to be seen rather than hidden away in a cupboard.

That also makes the FOLI collection an inspired gift for anyone who enjoys cooking. Instead of another kitchen gadget that may only be used occasionally, it's a present that combines thoughtful design with ingredients that are destined to become everyday favourites.

Food trends will come and go. One year it's hot honey, the next it's chilli crisp, whipped feta or pistachio cream. We love discovering those products just as much as anyone else, and they're part of what makes cooking exciting. But long after the trends have moved on, there will still be a bottle of olive oil on the table, balsamic waiting to finish a salad, and a well-made dressing ready to bring simple ingredients together.

Those aren't fashionable ingredients. They're timeless ones.

And that's exactly why we think FOLI is worth discovering.

Shop the FOLI Collection here.