Olly's Olives Mixed Pack Review: clean, handy olive snacks that taste good but cost a bit

I grabbed this Olly's Olives mixed pack because I wanted something salty to replace crisps in my lunch, but without ending up covered in oil. I eat quite a lot of olives from jars and deli counters, so I had a decent baseline to compare with. This box has 12 small 50 g pouches, with two flavours: chilli & rosemary and garlic & basil. I went through the whole box over a couple of weeks, mostly as a mid-afternoon snack or thrown into salads.

The first thing that stood out is how practical the pouches are. No brine, no oil leaking, no stones. You can open a pack at your desk and not worry about dripping olive juice on your keyboard. That sounds like a small thing, but in day-to-day use it actually matters more than I expected. It really is closer to grabbing a bag of crisps than opening a jar of olives.

In terms of taste, I’d put them in the “pretty solid” category. They’re not like getting olives from a proper deli, but they’re definitely better than a lot of bland supermarket snack olives I’ve tried in plastic tubs. The chilli ones have more character; the garlic & basil are milder and more generic. If you’re already an olive fan, you’ll probably be happy with them. If you’re on the fence about olives, these won’t magically convert you.

Overall, my first impression was: convenient, fairly healthy, decent taste, but the price per pouch made me hesitate. After finishing the box, that opinion didn’t really change. They do what they promise, but you’re paying a clear premium for the format and the branding. Whether that’s worth it depends on how much you care about mess-free snacking and portion control.

Let’s talk taste, because that’s what matters most. Overall, I’d say the olives taste good but not mind-blowing. The texture is solid: big, plump green Halkidiki olives, not squashed or mushy. They have a nice bite to them, and none of mine were discoloured or rubbery. So on the basic olive quality, I was pretty happy. These feel a step up from the really cheap snack olives you sometimes get in plastic tubs.

Flavour-wise, the two variants are quite different. The chilli & rosemary ones are the standout. The chilli has a gentle kick – enough to notice, but not so strong that your mouth is on fire. I’d call it mild to medium heat. The rosemary comes through as a warm, herby note. After a couple of pouches, I realised I kept reaching for these first. They’re just more interesting and have a bit more personality. If they sold a box of only this flavour, I’d probably buy that over the mixed one.

The garlic & basil flavour is more average. You can taste some garlic and a bit of basil, but it’s not very bold. It’s fine, just not exciting. Compared to marinated olives from a deli counter, this flavour feels a bit flat. If you like milder seasonings, you might prefer it, but I ended up seeing these pouches more as “salad topping” olives rather than “snack straight from the pack” olives. Mixed into pasta or a salad, they’re totally fine, but on their own they’re less satisfying than the chilli ones.

One practical detail: because there’s no oil or brine sloshing around, the olives are less messy but also a touch less juicy than fresh deli ones. You do notice that slightly drier feel. It didn’t bother me, but if you’re used to olives swimming in oil, this will feel different. In short: chilli flavour is genuinely tasty, garlic flavour is decent but forgettable. If you’re buying for flavour alone, just know it’s a solid snack, not some mind-blowing gourmet experience.

On the value side, this is where things get a bit mixed. The product itself is solid: good quality olives, convenient format, simple ingredients, and decent flavour. The problem is that when you work out the price per 50 g pouch, it’s noticeably higher than buying olives in jars or tubs. You’re paying a clear premium for portioned, mess-free snack packs and the branding. If you’re on a tight budget, this is going to feel like a luxury snack, not a regular grocery item.

That said, you do get a few things for the extra money. The pouches are genuinely handy, the quality is consistent, and there’s a charity donation baked into each Amazon order. If you often buy snack bars, nuts, or premium crisps, these sit in that same price zone – not cheap, but not outrageous if you treat them as a replacement for those kinds of snacks. For occasional use, especially for work or travel, I’d say the value is acceptable but not great.

Where the value improves is if you compare them to grabbing snacks on the go from a café or train station. In that context, one of these pouches is cheaper than most impulse buys and is usually healthier. So if you use them to avoid overpriced, unhealthy snacks when you’re out, they sort of pay for themselves. But if you’re mostly at home, a big jar of olives is simply more economical, even if it’s not as tidy.

Personally, I’d buy them again, but not all the time. I see them as a “desk drawer” or “travel” product rather than a permanent fixture in my kitchen. Value for money is decent if you prioritise convenience and clean ingredients, less so if you’re just after the cheapest way to eat olives. If they dropped the price a bit or offered larger multi-packs at a discount, I’d be a lot more enthusiastic.

In practice, the packaging is one of the strongest points here. Each pouch is a slim, flexible pack that tears open easily at the top. I didn’t need scissors once, and I never had a pack explode or rip in a weird way. The seal feels solid, and I didn’t have any issues with air getting in or olives drying out before opening. For something you’re likely to throw into a bag or a lunch box, that reliability matters.

The biggest win is that there’s no liquid sloshing around. The olives are moist enough to eat, but you don’t get brine or oil dripping everywhere. You can open a pack on a train or at your desk without needing napkins or a plate. Compared to jars or tubs, it’s just a lot cleaner. I also liked that the pouches are fairly flat, so you can slide one next to a sandwich without bulking out your bag too much.

On the downside, these are still single-use plastic pouches. If you’re trying to cut down on packaging waste, a jar of olives is obviously more eco-friendly, especially if you reuse or recycle glass. Here you’ve got 12 separate plastic pouches plus the cardboard outer box. The cardboard is easy to recycle, but the pouches are another story. So yes, very practical, but not great if you’re sensitive about plastic use.

Visually, the design is quite bright and modern, which is fine, but I honestly didn’t care much. What mattered to me was that the packaging was leak-proof, easy to open, and portable. On those points, it does the job really well. If they ever manage a more eco-friendly version with the same level of convenience, that would be ideal, but as it stands, for sheer practicality, it’s hard to complain.

Looking at the ingredient list, it’s pretty straightforward. You’re getting Greek Halkidiki olives, plus seasoning depending on the flavour: chilli & rosemary or garlic & basil, along with the usual salt and a bit of oil for the marinade. There are no artificial preservatives listed, and they make a point about that on the pack. For a shelf-stable snack, that’s reassuring if you’re trying to avoid additives or long chemical names.

From a health angle, olives are what they are: high in healthy fats, relatively low in carbs, and a decent source of fibre. Each 50 g pouch is around 75 calories, which is pretty reasonable for something salty and filling. If you compare that to a standard bag of crisps, you’re usually getting fewer calories, more fibre, and better fats. They’re also vegan and gluten free, so you don’t have to think much if you’re sharing with people who have those dietary needs.

One thing to keep in mind is the salt content. Like any olive product, these are salty. That’s normal, but if you’re on a low-sodium diet, you’d want to check the nutritional label and maybe not eat multiple pouches in one go. I’d have liked the salt content to be printed a bit more clearly on the front, but it’s all there on the back if you look. Taste-wise, the seasoning feels natural – you can actually taste the herbs and chilli rather than some artificial flavouring.

Compared to cheaper supermarket olives in brine, the ingredient list here is cleaner and shorter, which I appreciate. There’s no vinegar tang, no strange aftertaste, and nothing that makes you wonder what they’ve done to the olives. It’s not some miracle health food, but as a savoury snack, it’s fairly clean and honest. If you care more about simple ingredients than rock-bottom price, this fits that niche well.

The mixed pack is simple: 12 pouches, each 50 g, in a cardboard outer box. Inside my box I got a roughly even split of the two flavours: chilli & rosemary and garlic & basil. There’s no mystery here, no surprise flavours or anything. It’s basically a snack pack format for Greek Halkidiki olives, pre-marinated and ready to eat. Each pouch is one portion, which makes it easy not to overdo it if you’re watching calories or salt.

On the front of each pouch, they push the main points: vegan, gluten free, no preservatives, and around 75 calories per pouch. If you care about labels, this ticks a lot of boxes: dairy free, plant-based, and nothing obviously weird in the ingredient list. They also mention that they’re not heat-treated, which is basically them saying they’re trying to keep a fresher taste instead of that overcooked, mushy thing some shelf-stable olives have.

One thing I did notice is the actual amount of olives per pouch feels smaller than you’d think when you just look at "50 g" on paper. In practice it’s a handful of decent-sized olives – fine as a snack, but if you’re used to a full jar, it will feel tiny. That lines up with some Amazon reviews saying they’re a bit expensive for the quantity. You’re clearly buying a portion-control snack, not bulk olives for cooking.

They also mention the charity angle: for every order placed on Amazon, they donate a school meal to a child in poverty via the One Feeds Two movement. That’s nice, but in daily use it doesn’t change the product itself. It’s more of a “good to know” side note than a reason to buy on its own. Overall, the presentation is clear and honest enough: you understand quickly that this is a convenience snack product, not a kitchen staple.

By “effectiveness” here, I basically mean: do these pouches actually work as a practical, healthier snack alternative in real life? For me, the answer is mostly yes. I used them to replace crisps or chocolate in the afternoon, and they did the job. A 50 g pouch is surprisingly filling for 75 calories. The combination of fat and fibre from the olives keeps you satisfied for a while, so you don’t instantly go hunting for more food 30 minutes later.

In terms of convenience, they fit nicely into a daily routine. I kept a couple in my backpack and some in a drawer at work. Because there’s no mess and no smell that fills the room, I could eat them at my desk without feeling awkward. That’s a big difference compared to opening a jar of olives or something with strong brine. Also, since they’re stone-free, you’re not spitting pits into a napkin, which would be ridiculous in an office or on a train.

Versatility-wise, they’re handy. On days when I didn’t feel like snacking, I just threw a pouch into a salad or on top of pasta, and it instantly made the meal more interesting without extra effort. You can also put them out with drinks when friends come over. One pouch is a bit small for sharing, but if you open a few, you’ve basically got a ready-made olive bowl with no chopping or draining required.

The only real downside in terms of “effectiveness” is the price-to-quantity ratio. Because each pouch isn’t huge, it’s tempting to eat two at once, especially if you’re hungry. At that point, the cost per snack starts to feel high compared to just buying a big jar of olives and portioning it yourself. So yes, they’re effective as a healthy, convenient snack, but they’re more of an occasional treat or work snack than an everyday, budget-friendly staple.