The rapeseed crop has been grown in Britain for a number of centuries, in fact, it was first introduced to the UK by the Romans. Rapeseed is a brassica and is related to such plants as the cabbage, mustard and turnip for example. Rapeseed became a popular crop in the UK from the 1970’s, as farmers were encouraged to grow it due to increasing demand for a refined British rapeseed oil by food manufacturers, as an alternative to other imported refined oils. The oil also became popular in Canada and the USA and became known as canola oil.

Rapeseed continued to be used purely as a refined oil until 2005, when Duncan Farrington became the UK’s first seed-to-bottle producer of cold pressed rapeseed oil. After studying the oil as part of his degree, he was fascinated by the health and culinary benefits when it was cold pressed. So, in 2005 he set up a small press on his family farm and started cold pressing the rapeseed grown in his fields. The oil was a huge success and British cold pressed rapeseed oil is now a store cupboard staple for many households up and down the country.

british rapeseed oil duncan

Benefits of cold pressed rapeseed oil

– Half the saturated fat of olive oil and ten times less than coconut oil

– Healthy balance of Omega 3, 6 and 9

– 10 times more Omega 3 than olive oil

– A rich source of vitamin E

– Contains plant sterols and phenols

– High smoke point of 230°C

– Subtle, nutty flavour with buttery notes

Producing British Rapeseed Oil

We are so proud to produce British rapeseed oil. As we grow, press and bottle our Mellow Yellow oil on our farm in Northamptonshire, it is truly British. Normally planted in August, a rapeseed crop is incredibly difficult to establish as it needs perfect conditions for it to survive the first couple months as it emerges through the soil. To ensure success the crop requires a combination of good soil nutrition and structure; moisture in the soil (but not too much); warm soils, ideally over 9°C; no pests, especially Cabbage Flea Beetles and Slugs, both of which find newly emerged tender leaves incredibly delicious and can decimate a crop in a matter of days. Later in the winter months, pigeons also enjoy eating the leaves which we try to stop with bird-scarers.

If the farmer’s skill, along with a bit of mother nature’s help get the crop through to the spring, then rapeseed starts looking after itself as the days lengthen and the weather warms. From late February onwards it starts waking up and literally grows before your eyes, going from a small cabbage like plant to something over a metre tall in a matter of weeks. By April the crop starts flowering, giving the countryside the recognisable yellow fields. The flowers are pollinated by native bumble bees, to produce the tiny black seeds ready to harvest some eleven months after the crop was first planted.

As well as the weather affecting the growth of the rapeseed crop, weather conditions at harvest time also affects the quality of the finished oil. Ideally the seeds need to be harvested in cool dry conditions, as moist warm conditions will spoil the crop and encourage the growth of moulds. Once harvested, the seed is stored with the moisture and temperature carefully controlled to ensure the seed is keep in the best possible condition, ready to be cold pressed to make a deliciously healthy, quality British rapeseed oil.

Where to buy British Rapeseed Oil

Farrington’s Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil is available nationally from Booths, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and many independent farm shops and delis. In order to find your local stockist, visit our Where to Buy page and just enter your postcode.

british rapeseed oil bottle

We’re so excited to share our eagerly awaited, wonderful new dressing with you! Introducing Mellow Yellow Chilli and Cumin Dressing …

Aromatic and lively, combining the heat of chilli with the gentle aroma of cumin. A deliciously daring dressing or marvellous marinade.

For our first new dressing in four years, we wanted to create something bold and full of flavour. The flavours of chilli and cumin fit the bill perfectly! The chilli flavour is subtle enough to add a pleasant heat to your cooking with a delicious aromatic base from the cumin seeds. Not just for salads, use this dressing as a marinade for salmon, BBQ’s prawns, roasted vegetables or even in a simple butter bean hummus! We absolutely love the combination of spice and fragrance, adding a fantastic flavour to even the simplest of salads.

Just like every product in the Mellow Yellow range, our Chilli and Cumin Dressing is made with the finest ingredients. With no additives or preservatives, it is also vegan and gluten free. Thanks to our Mellow Yellow cold pressed rapeseed oil, the dressing is rich in Omega 3 and low in saturated fat so you know you are using a good quality dressing that’s also good for your health.

How can I get a bottle?

Available now from farm shops, delis and food halls. Make sure to ask your local farm shop to stock Mellow Yellow Chilli and Cumin Dressing if they don’t already! Once you’ve picked up your bottle, we’d love to know your favourite recipe, so make sure to tag us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Take a look at our other salad dressings too: Honey & Mustard, Classic Vinaigrette & Balsamic Dressing

Based in Northamptonshire, we are obviously big supporters of our home county, however, it sometimes doesn’t get the recognition it deserves. That’s where NorthamptonshireSurprise.com comes in! They have listed our county’s brilliant historical houses, countryside, rivers, churches and historical landmarks to encourage more people to discover Britain’s best kept secret.

As well as beautiful landscapes and interesting history, Northamptonshire Surprise also has plenty of information about all the brilliant artisan food and drink made in Northamptonshire (including us), theatre productions playing at our award-winning venues and hotels and B&B’s for those that want to stay more than one day!

We spoke to Kate from Northamptonshire Surprise to find out her top 1o (or slightly more than 10) places to visit in Northamptonshire…

1 & 2. Althorp (needs no introduction) and close by St Mary’s Church, Great Brington

Great Brington

3 & 4. On the other side of the county Prebendal Manor (book ahead) & Lyveden New Bield (great tea room)

5. For lunch and a mooch I have always enjoyed Beckworth Emporium

Beckworth

6. Also love to visit Tap & Kitchen in Oundle, especially when its warm and you can appreciate the Wharf setting (and love a stroll in Oundle afterwards)

Tap and Kitchen

7. When my teeny niece and nephew visit the obvious choice is Britain’s oldest theme park – Wickies (Wicksteed Park) but I’m also tempted by Holdenby House & their falconry, and of course Catanger Llamas

Catanger Llamas

8 & 9. As a shopper I’m enjoying Rushden Lakes and the walk from there to the ever popular Stanwick Lakes

Stanwick Lakes

10. If I need to chill (and I’m feeling flush) I would go to Fawsley Hall for afternoon tea, just wonderful both in terms of the experience and the glorious setting. This can only be finished off with a show at the Royal & Derngate afterwards

For more amazing places to visit in Northamptonshire, go to http://www.northamptonshiresurprise.com

About Me

I grew up on my family farm in Northamptonshire where we grow a range of crops such as oilseed rape, wheat, barley and beans. As well as these, we also have a heard of cattle and a small flock of sheep. Currently I am at Harper Adams University in Shropshire, where I study Agri-food Marketing and Business. I have just completed my first year there and whilst home for summer I wanted to find a job that would be good experience but also doing something I am passionate about. Having always been interested in the farm to fork process, or in this case the field to bottle process, where better to apply than Farrington Oils.

What have I been doing?

On my first couple of days I was thrown in at the deep end as I was working on the stand at the BBC Good Food Show in Birmingham, where I promoted and sold the Farrington’s Mellow Yellow range to the public. We were roasting potatoes in our cold pressed rapeseed oil in an oven on the stand for people to sample. This was to demonstrate how crispy the oil makes the potatoes thanks to its high smoke point. With over 220,000 people attending the show it meant our stand always had people around it, either tasting, asking questions, and the majority of the time, purchasing. Although they were 2 long days, leaving Bottom Farm at 6am and returning back at 9pm, it was a really enjoyable experience.

good food show picture 1

Another hands on task I was given was conducting a tasting at Morrisons in St Ives; here I had my own stand, positioned at the end of the salad aisle. The shoppers were able to taste any of the Farrington’s Mellow Yellow range by dipping freshly baked bread in the oils and dressings, and breadsticks in the mayonnaises. After tasting the products, many customers choose to purchase them, with some even buying 3 or 4 dressings at a time! Lots of people were interested in hearing about the locality of the oil and its health benefits.

morrisons tasting photo 1

In the office I started off by organising the store locator from the website, making sure they were all set out correctly, and all the information was up to date. I have also been working with food bloggers to encourage them to try our Farrington’s Mellow Yellow dressings. I had to make up and package the dressings, before sending them off to the bloggers who are going to review the products on their social media pages.

Another project that I was set was to research different packaging and postage options for the oils and dressings. This was an interesting task to do as I had to contact different companies to get more detailed information and quotes for products that I was looking at. I also had to work out the costing of different ideas and decide weather or not it would be viable and if so how would the business benefit from it. Whilst carrying out these tasks I have also been monitoring the Farrington’s Mellow Yellow social media pages, this includes liking, commenting, replying to or retweeting our followers. I also posted some pictures on Instagram of different meals that can be made using our rapeseed oil, adding in a link to our website so our followers could find the recipe. I have been trying to keep everything up to date by changing letter templates from the old logo to the new one and updating customer’s information. I have also helped to do a stock take and upload it onto the system, this is to check that there is the correct amount of the correct batch, and if there isn’t, then I had to work out why not and where the bottles may have gone.

Finally, I have also been working with the production team. In here I have been folding lots of different sized trays for the bottles to be packed into. I have also been folding swing tags for the rapeseed oil bottles, which advertise our range of dressings. Another task that I enjoyed was helping to pick and pack different orders to go out to customers, this is because of the importance of ensuring the correct type and amount of stock are going to the correct person.

Overall I have really enjoyed my time working at Farrington Oils; I have learnt so much that I will be able to take with me, not only back to university but also in future jobs. I have been involved in the whole process from watching the dressings being made along the whole production line to marketing and selling the finished bottles at shows. It has been great experience that has helped me to decide what path I would like to take in my future career.

Now that the weather is warming up, it is the perfect time to start making salad dressings with cold pressed rapeseed oil. With half the saturated fat of olive oil and ten times the Omega 3 of olive oil, cold pressed rapeseed oil is a fantastic choice for creating healthy salad dressings. Not only healthier, Mellow Yellow Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil has a very subtle nutty flavour with buttery undertones, a fantastic flavour profile for creating delicious salad dressings. As we grow, press and bottle our rapeseed oil on our farm in Northamptonshire to LEAF Marque standards, you can rest assured that you are using a high quality, environmentally responsible British product.

Now that we know how great the oil is, here are some recipes for salad dressings with cold pressed rapeseed oil…

Blackberry Vinegar Dressing

Ingredients:

1tsp Dijon mustard

1tbsp blackberry vinegar (we like Scrubby Oak or you can make your own with our simple recipe below)

3tbsp Farrington’s Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil

Method:

Mix the blackberry vinegar and dijon mustard in a screw top jar, then put the lid on and shake well. Add the Mellow Yellow (put the lid on again!) and shake vigorously again to get it all thoroughly blended. Adjust seasoning to taste. Store in the fridge and enjoy.

For the Blackberry Vinegar, steep blackberries with an equal quantity of cider vinegar for 5-10 days. After this time, strain the liquid and boil for 8-10 minutes with 450g of sugar per 700ml of liquid.

Sweet Oriental Dressing

Ingredients:

1tbsp runny honey

½ chopped red chilli

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil

Method:

Combine the runny honey, chopped chilli, dark soy sauce and Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil. Stir vigorously until combined.

Did you know that we make our own range of salad dressings?

– Honey & Mustard Dressing – Superbly balanced sweetness with a fantastic bite. Use on anything from a salad to a sausage. Try Honey & Mustard on our Asparagus, Salmon and Avocado Bruschetta as a tasty lunch or light dinner, the salmon and avocado perfectly complement the sweet and sharp flavour from honey and mustard.

– Classic Vinaigrette – The ultimate salad dressing with a sharp tangy taste, perfect for a green salad. Try Classic Vinaigrette in this recipe for a Protein Power Pot with quinoa, watercress, egg and tuna for a filling lunch recipe ideal for taking to work.

– Balsamic Dressing – A modern British twist on the classic Italian dressing, made with Aspall’s Apple Balsamic Vinegar for a deliciously fruity flavour. This dressing is perfect with Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella to highlight the delicious Italian flavour of the balsamic.

Find more salad recipes on the Recipe section of our website.

We spoke to chef Gavin Austin about how and why he uses Farrington’s Mellow Yellow Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil…

1. Can you tell us a bit more about yourself and what you do at Northampton Saints?

I’m originally from North Norfolk. I’ve been cooking for over twenty years and am currently the team performance chef at the Northampton Saints.

2. How did you first hear of Farrington’s Mellow Yellow Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil?

It was a good while ago now! When I moved down to Northamptonshire to work at Oundle Mill, I heard about Mellow Yellow at the Northamptonshire Food Awards. This must have been about 6 years ago and I have been using it ever since.

3. What were your reasons for switching to Mellow Yellow?

Well it’s the ultimate oil. I don’t think anything else is as good. It’s really versatile for my uses and really good for you.

4. What do you use Mellow Yellow for now?

I use it for everything! Dressings, cooking breakfast, lunch, I even add it into desserts. The flavour works brilliantly with dark chocolate, orange and sea salt.

5. What would you say is the biggest benefit to using Mellow Yellow Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil?

It’s healthy and not full of rubbish. Plus it’s local! I like to support independent local businesses so Farrington’s is perfect.

6. What is your favourite recipe to use Mellow Yellow in?

That’s a really hard question as I pretty much use it in everything. It goes into probably 95% of my cooking. Vegetables, chicken, scrambled eggs, caponata, etc, all use it. It’s just so versatile so I couldn’t pick a favourite.

7. We know you try to encourage the players to cook at home themselves, who is the best or most creative home-cook?

The names that spring to mind are Christian Day and Jamie Gibson, they stand out as two of the most foodie players.

8. As the weather is pretty cold at the moment, what’s your go-to winter warming comfort food dish?

Anything slow cooked!

If you enjoyed this interview with chef Gavin Austin, why not watch our video with him at the Saints last year: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPcDwXTvrgg

I have been asked in the past what we do in the winter months. People comment, saying “Surely as an arable farmer, you plant the crops in the autumn, go away on holiday and come back the following summer ready to harvest them?” Nice thought, but I’m afraid the reality is a little different.

Admittedly, on an arable farm, where we only grow crops and do not have any livestock to look after, the winter months are quiet and it can be an opportunity to relax on a holiday if you wish. However, I have always found it the time of year for research, planning and projects, of which we have done many over the years. Back around the millennium, I remember spending many winter months researching the viability of creating a cold pressed rapeseed oil business on our farm, as a diversification project on something I found very interesting and to hopefully bring a little extra income to the family business. Looking back, I think this was time very well spent.

Of course winter is an ideal time for us to service all the farm machinery in preparation for the coming spring and summer months when we will want it to work long and hard without too many breakdowns. We have done many building projects over the years, both for new machinery ideas and for buildings on the farm. Some examples have been building a new trailer, or creating a water bowser. In the past, when I was a young boy and even before I was born, my Father and Grandfather were at their happiest creating new weird and wonderful machines in the farm workshop. Two of the most extravagant examples included a six-wheel drive tractor, converted from a World War II army fire engine. I remember going across the fields with them on this machine, before it finally over heated and was retired in the nettles. Their most famous project was when they took two normal tractors, replaced the standard engines with more powerful versions, before removing the front axils off both tractors and joining them together to make an articulated four-wheel drive machine, driven by one person from the back tractor. This was certainly cutting-edge engineering in its day, that was later copied and refined by machinery manufacturers in future years.

We have restored our beautiful traditional barns and converted them from redundant old farm buildings into offices, including our farm office today. New modern grain stores have been designed and built to cope with storing and drying the grain at the speed the modern combine harvester brings the crops in. Over the years, we have built all of the factory and some of the machinery inside it for Farrington Oils. Some of these projects seem to start as winter job ideas, but tend to stretch through other months of the year and before long take on a whole life of their own. The most recent being the latest expansion of Farrington Oils to create a new toilet and changing facilities, as well as extra space to mix our salad dressings and store ingredients. We have even made a little development kitchen in which Eli is currently very busy with her trusted jam jar creating some possible exciting new dressing recipes. This whole project started in April last year, we had a few weeks break for harvest to take place, before finally finishing the project just before Christmas.

Marvin planting saplings in Jan 2018

The other main type of project we have done during winter over the years is planting trees and hedges. We have literally planted thousands of trees and several kilometres of hedges since 1987 when my Father planted the first couple of spinneys on the farm. They are now well established, adding beauty and wildlife habitats to the landscape. This year we have been at it again. Marvin spent the time before Christmas with the chainsaw, thinning out dead wood from a copse area and old hedge, in readiness to replant with new young saplings in the first weeks of January. He has now created a few hundred more metres of hedgerow – Father and I have helped him with the spade to get some of the 2,000 hedge and tree plants put into the soil. We will have to weed around the young saplings for the first two years, after that they will hopefully grow and thrive, adding more beauty and wildlife habitat for many years to come. Additionally, we have a pile of wood ready to cut up for the fire to keep us warm at home next year.

Spinney on Bottom Farm that was planted in 1987, photo taken Feb 2018.

Although winter on Bottom Farm may not be spent on a combine harvester or tractor, it certainly is far from quiet!

Did you know that cold pressed rapeseed oil is a great, heart-happy oil? Are you looking to improve your health? Well we have one simple change for you that will help you with this goal. Mellow Yellow Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil is a brilliantly healthy, British cooking oil that is grown, pressed and bottled in Northamptonshire. Read on to find out more about all the fantastic health benefits of cold pressed rapeseed oil…

Top 4 Health Benefits of Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil

Low saturated fat

A balance of Omega 3 and Omega 6

Contains Vitamin E

Naturally occurring plant sterols

Low saturated fat

Saturated fat is usually found in high levels in fatty meats, full fat dairy products, coconut oil and lard. For many years, health professionals have advised against consuming high amounts of saturated fat as they have been shown to raise your LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) levels. LDL is known as ‘bad’ cholesterol as high levels of LDL blood cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease by building up in our arteries and causing them to narrow. Cold pressed rapeseed oil, however, has very low levels of saturated fat. This is one of the major health benefits of cold pressed rapeseed oil! For more information from the British Heart Foundation, click here.

A balance of Omega 3 & Omega 6

Mellow Yellow Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil contains both Omega 3 and Omega 6. These are essential fatty acids that the body is unable to produce itself so we need to ensure that we consume these in our diet. These two essential fatty acids contribute to brain development, growth and maintaining a healthy immune system. It is important that we consume these two fatty acids in the correct ratio as found in cold pressed rapeseed oil. It is this ratio that makes this one of our top health benefits of cold pressed rapeseed oil. We have more information on Omega 3 and 6 on our Health and Nutrition page.

Contains Vitamin E

Another of the health benefits of cold pressed rapeseed oil is that it contains vitamin E. Vitamin E occurs naturally in cold pressed rapeseed oil and is needed for a strong immune system and healthy eyes and skin.

Naturally occurring plant sterols

Last but not least in our top health benefits of cold pressed rapeseed oil are the naturally occurring plant sterols found in this brilliant oil. Plant sterols are fat-soluble compounds found in some vegetables, nuts and seeds, including rapeseed. They are similar in structure to cholesterol therefore when eaten, plant sterols compete with cholesterol for absorption into the bloodstream. Our bodies find it easier to absorb plant sterols as they block the cholesterol from being absorbed. This results in the cholesterol passing through and out of the body via the stool. Find more information here.

Comparison of oils:

With these brilliant health benefits of cold pressed rapeseed oil, it’s easy to see why so many people are swapping to Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil! Find out where to buy here.

If you want to know more about cold pressed rapeseed oil, how we produce it, how it grows, the simple way we press the seeds to produce our cold pressed rapeseed oil and more on what is so special about cold pressed rapeseed oil, have a look at this article!

For recipe inspiration on what to cook with cold pressed rapeseed oil, visit our Recipe page here.

Christmas is just around the corner so now is the perfect time to share with you some of our favourite recipes, hints and tips for festive cooking! The Mellow Yellow team has all contributed a recipe or a favourite tip to help you ensure this is the best Christmas yet.

Tips For Roasties…

Roast potatoes – Make sure you use Farrington’s Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil. Thanks to its high smoke point, it helps you achieve extra crispy roast potatoes as it performs brilliantly at high temperatures. Take a look at Joanna’s freezer tip below if you want to save time on your roasties.

To save time on the big day, parboil and freeze your potatoes a few days earlier. Then once your meat is out of the oven, heat up Farrington’s Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil in a roasting dish until nice and hot, then put in your parboiled potatoes from frozen. This will make EVEN crispier roast potatoes, and save you a bit of space on the hob. (As heard by Joanna on Radio 2.)

Mince Pies

Mince Pies – Homemade mince pies really are so much better than shop bought ones, plus our recipe has a secret addition of chopped apple in the mincemeat that elevates the flavour!

A different way to eat a mince pie – Heat it up and take the lid off, pop a slice of stilton inside while it’s still hot then put the lid back on. Enjoy your sweet and savoury treat! (Rachel promises us this is delicious.)

Any other tips?

Use roasting bags for a juicy turkey and start with a clean oven to make the clean up easier! If you’re not feeding the five thousand, buy a turkey crown as it’s solid meat, takes less time and fits in a roasting bag perfectly! (Jo’s top tips for a stress-free Christmas!)

Leftover Christmas Cake? Don’t waste it, instead cut into large chunks, cover with clingfilm then foil, and freeze. (Gina’s favourite way to keep Christmas going until Spring)

Chestnut Stuffing – Emily’s Christmas dinner highlight

Ingredients:

100g bacon
50ml Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil, plus extra for greasing tin
1 onion peeled and chopped finely
150g sliced mushrooms
250g chestnut puree
250g tin whole chestnuts ground like breadcrumbs
Small tin or tube of liver pate
3 large cloves of garlic chopped finely
1 tablespoon (15ml) dried oregano
50g fresh breadcrumbs
1 lightly whisked egg
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

Cut any rind off the bacon and chop into small cubes. Put Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil into pan and fry bacon and onion for about 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with all the fat and stir in well with all the other ingredients and check seasoning. Grease baking tin with Mellow Yellow oil and cook in a preheated oven at 180c for 45 minutes.

Boozy Cranberry sauce – Richard’s way to add a kick to lunch time

This is one to start this year ready for next Christmas as it needs 10-12 months to infuse. But its a great thing to start during any time off you have this Christmas!

Firstly make cranberry Gin as you would sloe gin:

Ingredients:

450g/1lb Cranberries, frozen will work
225g/8oz caster sugar
1 litre/1¾ pint gin

Method:

Prick the skin of the cranberries all over with a clean needle and put in a large sterilised jar. Pour in the sugar and the gin, seal tightly and shake well. Store in a cool, dark cupboard and shake every other day for a week. Then shake once a week for at least two months. After 10-12 months strain the cranberry gin through muslin into a sterilised bottle . Once you have strained the gin, cook the soaked cranberries down to a jam like consistency adding a little salt and or sugar to taste. And there you go, delicious homemade boozy cranberry sauce, plus cranberry gin for a festive G&T!

Find more recipes here.

Some days, events in the news or experiences of friends near to us, remind us how lucky we are. I am fortunate to have the support of a loving and healthy family around me, great friends, a stable and exciting career, with some great people who help make Farrington’s Mellow Yellow the success it is. Of course, there are days when life is a bit of a struggle and, as Eli will testify, I can get a bit grumpy and stressed on occasion. However, compared to some people in the world, we have a pretty good lot.

I originally looked at starting Farrington Oils as a farm diversification. The aim was to try and create a more sustainable income so Eli and I could continue to live and work at Bottom Farm where our (at the time) young children could grow up. With the support of both of our parents, not to mention years of hard work, Farrington’s Mellow Yellow has become a great success, far exceeding what I originally envisaged. I am very proud of what we have achieved, not only providing Eli and I with a stable income, but also a livelihood for the small, dedicated team that work with us.

Our success is very much thanks to the many loyal customers who buy our products, some of whom have supported us since I first started making Britain’s original farm to bottle cold pressed rapeseed oil back in 2005. If I think about it too much, it is rather humbling and, perhaps because of this, I am keen that we should share some of our success with the community around us. Over the years, we have been proud to support several good causes.

I have always been keen to support young people, to try and inspire them in a small way, so they will have the confidence to ‘have a go’ and possibly stretch themselves to reach for goals they may not have thought they could achieve. This comes to life in some of the LEAF talks I hold at the farm or in schools. I love it when I talk about some of my experiences, the challenges and successes in starting and running your own business. I remember on one school visit, a girl asking if I was famous because there was a picture of my face was on our bottle of oil, and the excitement in the classroom that with a bit of hard work and passion they too might start something successful one day.

We have supported some charities close to our hearts over the years. The Faraway Children’s Charity is named after one of Enid Blyton’s children’s books: ‘The Faraway Tree’ which tells the story of a group of children who discover a magical tree where they are safe and happy. This great local charity came to our attention as Eli and I were shocked by the amount of absolute poverty all around us, in our supposed modern, developed economy. Volunteers help young vulnerable people in Northamptonshire to “survive, thrive and smile”. The charity was set up to support children, to give them simple things such as toiletries and clothing for example, or an Easter egg at Easter; to show them love and hopefully put a smile on their faces.

Another charity we have supported over the years is the Batten Disease Family Association (BDFA). This cause is incredibly close to our hearts; Batten Disease is a very rare and cruel neurological disease with very little known about it. There are only around 150 sufferers in the UK, including our close family friend Laura. Laura is a fantastic eighteen year old, crippled by the disease, but cared for with the love and help of her family. The BDFA helps support such families and to try and raise awareness for research into Battens.

We have also supported Children in Need by attending CarFest at Laverstoke Park each year and supplying the oil for their Foodie Workshops, which are always good fun. More generally, we always try to support local charity fundraisers and events when a request comes through for some Mellow Yellow products as a raffle prize, for example. Recently Farrington’s Mellow Yellow supported the Hargrave Music Festival. For four days in September, our sleepy little village played host to a series of classical concerts, opera performances and cabarets performed by world class acts. Not something you would expect in Hargrave, but a great weekend to put our community on the map. I even read on one of the performer’s credits that she had performed in Sydney, New York, London and Hargrave!

support car fest

Finally, we are very proud to support our local Premiership rugby team, Northampton Saints. The club’s chef, Gavin Austin, has always been a great supporter of Mellow Yellow and when he moved to the Saints, he wanted to take his trusted oil with him. Our healthy range of oil, mayonnaise and salad dressings are now an integral part of these elite athletes’ diets.

Whatever you like to support, I greatly enjoy being in a position to be able to help others. In the past people have helped, inspired and supported me over the years. Besides, as well as giving you that warm fuzzy feeling when you support a cause you believe in, we have also had a bit of fun in doing so. Have a look at our Oilslide Challenge to see what I mean.

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