“Salads are good for us.”

Everyone agrees with this statement as we are encouraged to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables, including salads, every day. Salads provide an essential source of vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and fibre, as well as being a delicious meal or accompaniment to meals. So why are we telling you to never eat a salad naked?

As people become more aware of healthy diets, the desire for low fat, low sugar or low salt meals and ingredients increases. This is especially so with oils, mayonnaises and salad dressings as ‘low fat’ or single calorie sprays become increasingly popular. At Farrington’s Mellow Yellow we often speak to customers who are keen to eat a healthy low-fat diet, to the extent that they don’t like to put salad dressings or mayonnaise on their salad with the aim of reducing their fat intake. The logic and ambition may be good, but a quest to reduce calorie intake by eating a salad un-dressed actually deprives people of the fantastic health promoting nutrition locked up in the salad. Not only is a fat required to absorb the nutrition within a salad, dressing a salad makes it more interesting and delicious to eat, helping you to make it a regular and enjoyable part of your diet. Also consideration should be given to the choice of fat used, but more on that later.

Salads are a wonderful source of vitamins and carotenoids. Vitamins play vital roles in health and body metabolism, along with their interaction with minerals required in the diet. We need to take vitamins in small regular amounts in our diet as the body can not store them and they can even be harmful if taken in excess. Vitamins are either fat soluble or water soluble, with Vitamins A, D, E and K being fat soluble. Salads contain fat soluble vitamins, so unless a salad is dressed with an oil-based dressing or mayonnaise, it is very difficult for the body to absorb these vitamins. By eating a healthy, balanced diet, there is no need for vitamin supplements to be taken.

Carotenoids are the naturally-occurring pigments in foods, with fruits and vegetables providing most of the carotenoids in the human diet. They play important roles in the body as powerful anti-oxidants; from the prevention of various types of cancers and chronic heart disease, to the maintenance of healthy eyesight. Carrots, known to help us see in the dark, get their orange colour from Alpha and Beta-Carotene. While the yellow colour of Mellow Yellow Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil comes from carotenoids called Luteins, containing around five times more than in extra virgin olive oil.*

Carotenoids are fat-soluble compounds so, just like the fat-soluble vitamins, to get the best nutritional benefit from colourful salad ingredients such as peppers, carrots, spinach and tomatoes, dress your salad with a fat to allow your body to absorb the carotenoids. However, research has shown that the type of fat eaten also affects how well we can absorb carotenoids from food. For example, a salad dressing made with an oil rich in mono-unsaturated fats, such as cold pressed rapeseed oil, absorbs more carotenoids compared to a dressing made with oils rich in saturated or poly-unsaturated fats, such as soybean, palm, sunflower or coconut oils for example. So not only should you ensure your salad is dressed with a fat, you should try to ensure the fat is rich in mono-unsaturates.

Why you should never eat a salad naked:

– Adding fat to salad allows your body to process the fat-soluble vitamins

– Using an oil rich in mono-unsaturated, such as cold pressed rapeseed oil, helps the body absorb anti-oxidant caratonoids

– Adding flavour helps motivate you to eat healthy salads regularly by making them more enjoyable

So, whether you are a purest and enjoy your salad simply drizzled with oil, like to pimp up a lettuce leaf creatively with a salad dressing, or if you prefer an indulgent dollop of mayonnaise; remember never eat a salad naked. The best dressed salads not only taste better, but make their nutritional delights all the more enjoyable. And just pause to think if a single calorie spray oil, a low fat salad dressing or mayonnaise really is as healthy as you first thought? Not to mention what actually goes into making some of those so-called healthy options…

But as far as the clothing you chose to wear, or not, while enjoying your favourite salad, we’ll leave that up to you.

* Crude rapeseed oil contains up to 95 mg/kg carotenoids, comprising about 85-90% luteins and 7-10% as carotene (Gunstone 2004). Extra virgin olive oil also contains luteins and carotene, but at levels of up to 20mg/kg only (Bosku, 2009) i.e., it only contains around one fifth the carotenoid antioxidant properties of rapeseed oil.

Bosku D., (2009). Olive oil Minor Constituents and Health CRC press p52.

Gunstone F D., (2004). Rapeseed and Canola Oil; Productrion, Processing, Properties and Uses, Blackwell Publishing

Not just used by home cooks, our Mellow Yellow Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil has made it’s way into many professional kitchens. Dean Hoddle, Head Chef of Silverstone Race Circuit here in Northamptonshire, tells us all about how he uses our oil to create delicious dishes…

As the Head Chef of Silverstone Circuit my dedicated team of chefs and I have to deliver a multitude of culinary offers for various events around the circuit. Whether it be a sandwich working lunch for an intimate meeting; a buffet style menu for a large trade exhibition, a banquet style meal for a FSTE 100 company or race day hospitality for the UK’s most prestigious motorsport events. Each event presents its unique challenges but it is overcoming these particular challenges that my team and I especially relish.

One of the main challenges we face is creating a balanced menu that is applicable to so many diverse events; often with large numbers and an ever varied number of diets. This is never easy to undertake and with my passion for local produce I often find myself looking closer to home for the finest produce to use on the menu.

silverstone 3 silverstone 2

In Northamptonshire we are truly blessed with excellent local produce and food loving artisan producers. Getting to know them and just talking about their produce you can see the passion that goes into the products they produce. Once we get to know them and build a relationship with them, the sky is the limit. I often find myself talking to them discussing new product ideas, then, hey presto, we have an exclusive product concept which ends up being a bespoke product exclusive to Silverstone. You don’t get that often as a Head Chef anymore.

With Farrington Oils the fact they are in the rolling countryside of Northamptonshire is a real bonus. The soil is perfect rapeseed growing conditions and the fields around the county are often ablaze with a sea of yellow. Deep within the countryside down a single lane country road in a sleepy village you come across Farrington Oils. The sea of yellow around the farm, the grain stores, the production area and the development kitchen: you just can’t help yourself but be excited. It sounds idyllic and it certainly is but it’s not just about the look and feel of where you are. What they produce is also special.

Let’s start with the oil. The unmistakable look of the golden colour and smooth taste makes this product a pure joy to work with. It’s so versatile we can apply it to any dish that you would use other oils in and simply get a far better result. The smooth undertone of flavour comes through to give you a distinct yet subtle flavour which enhances the produce.

From this base product Farrington Oils make a selection of dressings which are on all of our menus from Corporate Hospitality events to the biggest event on the Silverstone calendar: the British Grand Prix. The selection of flavours really complement our dishes and the design on the bottles with the brand “Mellow Yellow” which is recognised as quality, is simply placed on the service points to add to the luxury of our offering.

When you add all this together: the fantastic service which is very personal; the ability to create new ideas and the amazing base product you simply cannot lose. I’m looking forward to my next visit to Farrington Oils where my chefs and I will be playing in the development kitchen looking onto the yellow fields for inspiration.

Dean Hoddle, Head Chef, Silverstone

Follow Dean on Twitter & Instagram.

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

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.

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.

duncan signature

We are over the moon to have won not one, not two, not even three, but SIX stars at the 2017 Great Taste Awards for our Farrington’s Mellow Yellow products this year. The judges have awarded a 1 star Great Taste award to each of our Classic Vinaigrette, Honey & Mustard Dressing, Balsamic Vinegar Dressing, Chilli Oil, Mayonnaise and Garlic Mayonnaise. For most products, this is their second, or even third Great Taste award but for our Chilli Oil, this is the first time it has been awarded a Great Taste star and we couldn’t be happier!

The Great Taste awards are the world’s largest and most trusted food and drink awards, with a panel of over 500 experts judging each product, being described as the ‘Oscars of the food world’. This year, 12,366 food and drink products entered into these prestigious awards, with only the very best products being awarded the coveted stars.

Here’s what the judges had to say about our products:

Chilli Oil: A wonderful colour and clarity. The nuttiness of the oil is retained and a subtle hint of chilli makes a wonderful condiment for cooking.

Balsamic Dressing: Lovely fruity sweetness that lifted the palette.

Classic Vinaigrette: Herbs add to the complexity of flour with all the ingredients working in harmony.

Honey & Mustard Dressing: The honey flavour balances well with the mustard. Love the ‘pop’ of the mustard seeds too.

Mayonnaise: A very good colour, and the rapeseed oil really works well here. It’s light and creamy textured, and well seasoned with a light hand.

Garlic Mayonnaise: Good clean creamy mayo with a well-judged hint of garlic. Lovely richness and mouthfeel.

We’re so proud of all our brilliant products, so if you haven’t tried them all, head over to our Where to Buy page and find your local stockist!

Farrington’s Mellow Yellow Popularity Grows continuously.

Thanks to the increasing popularity of our Farrington’s Mellow Yellow range of rapeseed oil, dressings, and mayonnaises, we are no longer able to grow all the rapeseed we need at Bottom Farm. For some months of the year, we will need to source seed from outside farms to supplement our own.

Over the last few months, I have been looking to work with other LEAF Marque growers of Rapeseed, to supply top quality seed. I am delighted to have teamed up with Arden Farms based at Owmby-by-Spital near Market Rasen in Lincolnshire. Arden farms grow a range of crops, including wheat, barley, oilseed rape, and onions. They also take much pride in their herd of red deer, which being in the heart of the Lincolnshire Wolds, the land is ideally suited to deer giving them a natural diet and cover. Interestingly, venison contains less than half the fat of beef, pork, and lamb. This combined with the fact that it is a very tender and nutritious meat, supports venison in becoming increasingly popular with consumers.

We at Farrington’s are very excited and look forward to working closely with Arden Farms, who like us strive to farm their land in a way that is sympathetic to the environment in order to create a healthy and diverse range of food. To read more about Arden Farms, visit their website www.ardenfarms.co.uk

We are delighted to have won gold twice again this year in the Great Taste Gold 2011. The awards were given to our Garlic Mayonnaise which was launched last year and also to our new Balsamic Vinegar Dressing, launched earlier this year, combining Farrington’s MELLOW YELLOW rapeseed oil and British apple balsamic vinegar, garlic and basil.

The Great Taste Awards are highly regarded within the food industry, with over 7400 products being entered for judging over a rigorous two-month period. Before gold is awarded a minimum of twelve experts must discuss and agree on the winner. Consumers and retailers alike recognise Great Taste Award winners as being products they can trust.

Duncan recieved his first Great Taste Award in 2006 for Farrington’s MELLOW YELLOW cold pressed rapeseed oil and is delighted to have won the latest awards and to have Northamptonshire once again rewarded for producing great artisan food. His entire range of dressings and mayonnaises have now been individually awarded Great Taste Awards, making this year’s awards especially exciting.

Nigella Loves ……….

Yes it’s true; Nigella loves Mellow Yellow cold pressed rapeseed oil, and is telling everyone about in her latest book Nigella Christmas and on her website www.nigella.com . We are delighted to have such a wonderful endorsement from someone who obviously has great taste.

Price reduction on FARRINGTON’S MELLOW YELLOW DRESSINGS! Now that we are producing our award winning dressings completely in-house, we are able to make savings on our costs, which we would like to pass on. We have reduced the trade price of the dressings to around £2.44 per bottle, with an rrp of around £3.25. These new prices represent a 7% reduction, and take effect immediately. Please contact your usual wholesale supplier or us directly to place orders.

Show Time….

The year is young, but Duncan is already thinking of the trade shows coming up, with the first being Scotland’s Speciality Food Show from 25^th to 27^th January at the SECC in Glasgow. He is greatly looking forward to talking to our many loyal customers north of the border. We will also be attending IFE09 at EXCEL in London from 15^th to 18^th March, where we will be launching our latest dressing.

New Dressing…

To join our successful Blackberry Vinegar and Honey & Mustard Dressings, we are working on the latest FARRINGTON’S MELLOW YELLOW CLASSIC VINAIGRETTE which will be launched at IFE09. As with the existing dressings, it tastes superb, and will be made using the finest additive free ingredients – we are hoping to have some samples ready for a sneak preview at the Scottish show.

New Irish wholesale supplier….

Following the success of the SHOP08 show, we are hoping to take on a new supplier for Ireland in the next few days. Berryhill Merchants have a fantastic reputation in the Irish speciality food area, and we greatly look forward to welcoming them on board.

Further Information

For orders and further information, please do contact us on 01933 622809 or by email info@farrington-oils.co.uk ; or one of our brilliant wholesale suppliers, who are always happy to hear from you:

Berryhill Merchants Ltd (Ireland); Hider Food Imports; Goodness Foods; Michael Bance (Leicestershire), Richards Catering Supplies (Cornwall), T & J Fine Foods (Lincolnshire).

Spring has certainly sprung and having had a “proper” winter, we are full of the joys and bursting with enthusiasm! To get you all going we are delighted to announce our new classic vinaigrette

Inspired by the desire to have an innovative British take on the ever-popular French dressing, Eli has been busy again with her trusted jam jar in our farmhouse kitchen to create this ultimate salad dressing. The ‘Classic Vinaigrette’ has a sharp, tangy taste, is extremely versatile and has been carefully crafted to complement any salad. The result is a perfectly balanced combination of FARRINGTON’S MELLOW YELLOW® cold pressed rapeseed oil, Aspalls’ white wine vinegar and just the right amount of herbs and spices.

We will launch this at IFE in London from 15^th to 18^th March, come and see us on stand N3131. Already getting high acclaim from food writers and journalists, we know this dressing will become a national favourite in demand by consumers – get ready to order your stock now.

In the Media ……….

We are busy in the press and are delighted to have been featured in Delicious, Good Food, Fine Food Digest, Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph, The Grocer and The Caterer this month alone! With Celia Brooks Brown from The Times Online, and cookery demonstrator, Rosemary Moon to name two, both raving about the Classic Vinaigrette, the noise can only get louder.

Duncan presses for higher standards….

Along with representatives of other like-minded cold-pressing oil companies, Duncan is a founding member of a new industry-wide body for promoting the benefits of cold pressed oils, ensuring quality and maintaining standards. Although still to find a name, Duncan is delighted to have been elected joint Vice Chairman.

Further Information

For orders and further information, please contact us on 01933 622809 or by email info@farrington-oils.co.uk ; or one of our brilliant wholesale suppliers, who are always happy to hear from you: Berryhill Merchants Ltd (Ireland); Hider Food Imports; Goodness Foods; Michael Bance (Leicestershire), Richards Catering Supplies (Cornwall), T & J Fine Foods (Lincolnshire).