A Bite With … Graza CEO Andrew Benin

First, there were Sizzle and Drizzle. Now, three years later, here’s Frizzle.

The latest launch from specialty olive oil brand Graza is a single-origin, high-heat cooking oil that co-founder and CEO Andrew Benin described as a “game-changer.” The new varietal debuts this week at Whole Foods Market stores nationwide in spray bottle and squeeze bottle formats. A two-liter jug will be available online in the coming weeks.

Like Sizzle and Drizzle – Graza’s extra virgin olive oils for cooking and finishing, respectively – Frizzle is picked, pressed and bottled in Jaen, Spain, using Picual olives harvested at peak. The product is in part derived from the leftover pomace of the brand’s olive oil production, bringing an “exciting story” to Whole Foods shelves, according to Brooke Gil, principal category merchant.

The debut of Frizzle follows a white-hot year for Graza, which was projected to surpass $48 million in sales and reach 18,500 retail outlets by the end of 2024. The brand also released innovative new packaging in the form of recyclable, nitrogen-sealed beer cans that are portioned to refill the brand’s signature squeeze bottles. Graza also introduced co-branded offerings in new segments including granola and baby food.

In an interview with Nosh, Benin discussed the creation of Frizzle, additional collaborations on the horizon and how competition is heating up in the premium oil segment.

How is Frizzle different and incremental to the portfolio?

Frizzle is your high-heat kitchen hero — a buttery and delicious, but still neutral oil that’s perfect for frying or crisping up anything in your kitchen. It has a higher smoke point (490°F) than Sizzle (410°F). Frizzle is also made with naturally extracted and naturally refined Olive Pomace Oil and a touch of Sizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil, whereas Sizzle and Drizzle are made with 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

You initially hinted at this launch back when Drizzle and Sizzle debuted. What went into the development and production of this variety, and why did it take several years?

Yes! We have teased Frizzle on our website for over three years now and did plan to launch it much sooner. A lot of factors contributed to it getting delayed:

• The natural extraction and natural refining process needed some scale to be able to be viable. Olive pomace, when it comes from the extra virgin harvest period, is marvelous in its own right, and does not nearly resemble what the industry was selling as pomace prior to Graza’s innovation. However, we needed to secure our supply and lock in launch partners to get it right.
• The war in Ukraine depleted global supply of sunflower oil, causing a surge in the price of all types of refined oil – chemical or mechanical.
• Two consecutive years of poor harvests in Spain contributed to a massive surge of all grades of olive oil prices.

How is the launch of beer can refills going almost a year since the debut?

It could not be going better. The adoption online has been incredibly strong, and more and more retailers are bringing them in to service their Graza super fans and their more eco-conscious consumers.

Since you’ve entered the market, several other specialty olive oil brands have emerged. What is your perspective of the competitive landscape, and how do you stand apart?

Graza disrupted the extra virgin olive oil market by stripping away the luxury component associated with the category and introducing a more playful and accessible approach. Our signature squeeze bottle, vibrant branding and focus on the home chef audience put Graza on the map at launch, but it’s the high-quality oil itself that keeps customers coming back. In our three years of business, we have continued to innovate – expanding our offerings with LTO products like EVOO Chips, Refill Cans, and now, Frizzle. We’ve also built strong partnerships with key retailers such as Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons, Publix and H-E-B/Central Market, collaborated with admirable brands, and have remained deeply engaged with our community. This strategy, combined with our recognizable brand identity, has made Graza the fastest-growing olive oil company in the world.

We support and welcome all competition that intimately focuses on the long-term quality of their product.

You’ve had several noteworthy collabs in recent years with Aura Bora, RIND, Little Spoon and others. What do you look for in these types of partnerships, and will you continue to co-brand with others to showcase your olive oil in different ways?

We look for strong brand alignment, a healthy dose of joy and humor, and a delicious end result.

Partnerships will continue to be part of our strategy in 2025. We have two upcoming collaborations launching in March that we’re looking forward to and can share more info on them, closer to the announcement.

What milestones or other news do you anticipate for the coming year for the business?

Sizzle 750ml is the fourth strongest olive oil SKU in the country, and we only anticipate that to continue creeping up to No. 1.

Have you noticed any big booms in the business related to the growing anti-seed oil movement?

While we are seeing Nielsen data show clear trends of consumers trading away primarily from canola oil into olive oil and avocado oil, Graza’s growth is currently so strong individually that it’s difficult to associate growth to any single trend.