Philadelphia hosted a delectable event on May 15^th, “Have an Olive Day,” featuring the prestigious Spanish chef José Andrés,

Chef Andrés has been twice named by TIME Magazine as one of its 100 Most Influential people.  In its final year, this initiative is promoted by Olives from Spain, with the financial support of the European Union.

As part of the Olives From Spain “Have an Olive Day” campaign, Andrés last week turned the The Versailles Residences roof deck and private resident space, at 16^th and Locust Street in Center City into a delicious olive field with dozens of varieties, including Hojiblanca, Queen and Manzanilla, as part of his ambassadorship introducing Spanish olives to the United States.

“Have an Olive Day” campaign invited guests and journalists to know more about their varieties, versatility and benefits. The promotional program developed by the European Union and the Spanish olives sector, is the leading producer and exporter of table olives in America.

Spain is the world leader in production and export of table olives, representing 21 percent of world production and 30 percent of world exports. The United States imports more than 155 million pounds of European olives every year.

Popular at the party was the Olives from Spain Philly cheese-steak

For recipe inspiration and more information on the rich history of olives, please visit www.haveanoliveday.eu or follow the campaign on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest at @haveanoliveday – Thanks to Andre Flewellen for photographing this for HughE Dillon LLC/PhillyChitChat.