Oils
Rapeseed Oil
Chili Oil
Dressings
Classic Vinaigrette
Balsamic Dressing
Honey & Mustard
Chili & Cumin
Plant sterols – What are they? Where are they found? Duncan Farrington, founder of Farrington Oils, explains.
Many health-related issues are a direct result of poor diets, especially Coronary Heart Disease, which is a major killer in westernised populations. One of the biggest causes of Coronary Heart Disease is from high cholesterol. Raised cholesterol levels are partly genetic, but also partly a result of poor dietary choices. By eating a healthy balanced diet, over time you can bring your cholesterol levels back to your normal level.
In recent years, interest has increased in a particular natural food component that actively reduces cholesterol, called plant sterols. Plant sterols are fat-soluble compounds found in some vegetables, nuts and seeds, including rapeseed. They are similar in structure to cholesterol, which is found in animal fats such as meat and dairy. When eaten, plant sterols compete with cholesterol for absorption into the bloodstream. Your body finds it easier to absorb the plant sterols: they block the cholesterol from being absorbed, resulting in the cholesterol passing through and out of the body via the stool.
Plant sterols’ cholesterol-lowering effects have been known for some time. They are considered to be the most effective single food that can lower cholesterol as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle. Evidence suggests that eating between 1.5g and 2.4g of plant sterols each day can significantly reduce LDL cholesterol (‘bad’ cholesterol) by up to 10% (Heart UK).
These beneficial plant sterols are present in rapeseed oil. In fact, several vegetable oils contain plant sterols, with rapeseed oil being an excellent source, as shown in the table. Rapeseed oil has over double the sterol content of olive oil, and ten times that of coconut oil.
Total sterol content of crude vegetable oils.
Adapted from Gunstone (2004) and Gunstone (2011).
As you can see, rapeseed oil contains the highest amount of plant sterols. This table is for crude oils, which means it is based on unrefined oils such as a cold pressed rapeseed oil. If we look at the refined versions of these oils, the plant sterol measurement decreases by up to 40%. This is caused by the bleaching and deodorising process. So, in order to consume more plant sterols from oils, an unrefined and cold pressed rapeseed oil, such as Farrington’s Mellow Yellow, is the best choice.
The knowledge of how effective plant sterols are in lowering cholesterol has led to the appearance of several successful food brands producing fortified foods, such as non-dairy spreads and yoghurt drinks with ‘added plant sterols’. The plant sterols added are actually those recovered from refined vegetable oils.
Although our rapeseed oil contains high amounts of plant sterols in comparison to other oils, I am not suggesting that Farrington’s Mellow Yellow alone will reduce cholesterol levels. To get your full 1.5g to 2.4g of plant sterols a day, you would need to drink around half a bottle of cold pressed rapeseed oil, which is obviously not realistic, nor how I suggest you enjoy our oil! However, by enjoying it alongside other plant sterol containing foods, as part of a healthy diet, you’ll increase your total plant sterol intake and be well on your way to reaching the ideal amount needed to reduce high cholesterol.
Duncan Farrington
For more information on this topic, see:
Gunstone F D., (2004). Rapeseed and Canola Oil; Productrion, Processing, Properties and Uses Blackwell Publishing
Gunstone F D., (2011). Vegetable Oils in Food Technology Composition, Properties and Uses Wiley-Blackwell p253-254.
Heart UK. https://heartuk.org.uk
Back in 2012, thanks to the growing success of Farrington’s Mellow Yellow we started using rapeseed from a second farm, working with our neighbours, in addition to the seed we grow on our own farm. See my blog; “Mellow Yellow Popularity Grows” April 10, 2012. Now, we have added a third farmer to the list.
The Bletsoe and Farrington families have been neighbouring farmers since at least my great grandfather’s day. Like most farming neighbours, we have developed strong friendships over those generations, built on trust and the odd bit of occasional light hearted banter.
Emma Bletsoe has, for several years, used our rapemeal, produced as the by-product from pressing the oil out of the seed, to feed her cattle. Then a couple of years ago, Emma and I were chatting at a local gathering, when the conversation moved on to her rapeseed crop and my future needs for more LEAF Marque rapeseed. Emma thought that as well as buying the meal off us, perhaps she could also sell us her seed in the first place. Emma and her guys on the farm, Garry and Stuart, have worked hard to meet the rigorous LEAF Marque standards, which they passed with flying colours.
Now we purchase seed from Emma, which ensures I have a fully traceable, accredited supplier; while Emma gets a little bonus and the odd bottle of oil for the extra work required. Then once we have pressed the seed to produce our Mellow Yellow, Gary or Sturt arrive with their tractor and trailer to collect the rapemeal, which they use to make a healthy and, again fully traceable, meal for their cattle. This is something the cows particularly like in the cold winter months when they are kept in warm straw-bedded barns, as opposed to eating fresh grass in the fields during the summer.
This is a prime example of neighbouring farmers working well together, making happy farmers, happy cows and most importantly, the best quality, delicious Farrington’s Mellow Yellow that you can trust every time.
After nearly ten years, my monthly ramblings of life as a farmer, initially for a local village magazine and latterly for the Evening Telegraph; must come to an end as I need to spend more time helping our growing business.
Ten years ago, the economics of agriculture were not that inspiring and I was just starting out in a diversification project as Britain’s first person to grow, press and bottle rapeseed oil. In my mind this was going to be a small project to help supplement income from the farm, enabling Eli and me and, our young family to remain living and working on the farm. Little did I realise, that Farrington’s Mellow Yellow would become the success it has.
Within four years, Farrington Oils outgrew the farm in turnover. I had to start employing people and with it, learn very quickly how to find the right team to work with, as well as how to work with our increasing number of customers and meeting the many loyal consumers who buy our products that keep us all in business. I am very proud of the fact that in our little village of Hargrave, we now employ over 15 people. We have a fantastic team who are just as passionate about what we do here as I am.
There are many UK farmers now replicating what I started, of which there are three main brands, with us in the top two. However, while the success has been obvious, it is not the time to slow down resting on our laurels’. Competition is fierce keeping us all on our toes. As the market for cold pressed rapeseed oil matures, it is more important than ever to keep pushing forward, because if I don’t, others will and they could take our market. We are now looking for new customers both in the UK and abroad. I am delighted we are now; ‘exporting oil to the Arabs’ – its only small at the moment, but will hopefully grow, especially when Eli and I attend an international trade show in Dubai next February for example.
Closer to home as we need to travel the country visiting customers here, I have just invested in our first company car. To keep in line with our cool British credentials, it had to be a Mellow Yellow Mini from the local Mini dealer in Northampton and I love it. Mini is a successful British brand exporting 80% of what it produces, whilst this may be a tall order for Mellow Yellow, it is certainly something to aim for over the next few years. Look out for our soon to be branded Mellow Yellow Mini on the roads.
Thank-you to all of you who have read my diary over the last ten years, I can’t believe you could have put up with me complaining about the wrong type of weather on so many occasions. I have thoroughly enjoyed writing my diary and meeting so many readers over the years. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2016.
10 years of cold pressed rapeseed oil. From a leading actress and a butcher to Michelin star chefs and business leaders; all part of this modern farmer’s story.
Celebrating 10 years, Farmer Duncan Farrington thanks the people who supported his British culinary oil with the first 10, new look bottles off the production line.
Farrington’s Mellow Yellow cold pressed rapeseed oil celebrates its 10th anniversary with a redesign and fresh look. The success of this British brand of culinary oil has been achieved through lots of hard work, as well as support from a wide variety of people. Duncan started selling bottles of Mellow Yellow cold pressed rapeseed oil to independent retailers from the boot of his car in 2005, including his first stop at the local butcher, H Johnson & Sons in Thrapston. Mr. Johnson agreed to give it a try on a sale or return basis and within a fortnight had placed his second order having completely sold out.
In 2003 Duncan became a LEAF Demonstration Farmer, as part of a network of farmers who talk to the public about their environmentally friendly farming practices. Actress Tamsin Greig launched the Farrington family farm as a demonstration farm. Tamsin was playing Debbie Aldridge in the Archers at the time, where the character had just completed her LEAF audit on the show. Duncan invited Tamsin and her family to the farm where she planted an owl box to mark the occasion. Later with LEAF Marque accreditation for his rapeseed, Duncan began producing Farrington’s Mellow Yellow rapeseed oil to the highest environmental standards and raised the bar of British produced culinary oils.
Cold pressed rapeseed oil continues to grow in popularity and is much loved by chefs and home cooks alike, who appreciate its culinary and health properties. Leading chefs to discover Farrington’s early on included Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson. Duncan introduced himself to Jamie at a consumer show in 2006, and since then has produced one of Jamie’s brands of rapeseed oil as well as being on the menu at his Union Jacks restaurant. Nigella was an early fan too, naming Farrington’s Mellow Yellow as her rapeseed oil of choice in her book ‘Kitchen’. More recently, the company was chosen by Michel Roux Jr’s Cookery School to become a partner. The school contacted Farrington’s because their chefs have been using the oil since the school opened in 2013.
Duncan also acknowledges other people who support British agriculture and who have, in one way or another, been advocates and mentors. Duncan says, “Our success has been achieved not only with a great product but also through working with great people who believed in what I was trying to achieve right from the start. From the food writers and independent shops to the national retailers and Michelin-starred chefs, all of whom I’ve enjoyed working with and who have supported us on our journey from humble beginnings”.
The ten people to receive bottles of Farrington’s Mellow Yellow cold pressed rapeseed oil are Judith Batchelar, Graham Cassie, Sheila Dillon, Tamsin Greig, Adam Gray, Nigel Johnson, Nigella Lawson, James Martin, Jamie Oliver and Michel Roux Jr.
Thank you for 10 years of cold pressed rapeseed oil, here’s to 10 more!
The first jars of our NEW garlic mayonnaise are now starting to appear on the shelves. Packed full of roasted garlic pieces, Farrington’s MELLOW YELLOW Garlic Mayonnaise is gluten and additive free, created from our original MELLOW YELLOW Mayonnaise recipe using free-range eggs, and with all the health benefits of our cold pressed rapeseed oil, always at the heart of our products.
We are extremely excited to launch the latest addition to the MELLOW YELLOW range, and have had a really positive response from taste tests. People love the bursts of garlic in this truly artisan product. We are confident that the newest twist on our classic mayonnaise will not only be the perfect complement to barbeques and summer cuisine but will also become a popular store cupboard staple for all occasions.
As the end of the British winter approaches Farrington’s are looking ahead to summer days in readiness to dollop their delicious and versatile Garlic Mayonnaise for the barbeque season, a perfect accompaniment for a wide range of foods, including meat, fish and shellfish, a dip for crudités and canapés, in sandwiches and hamburgers, or with spicy dishes such as samosas, onion bhajis or kebabs.
Let us know what you think of the bold new taste, and share your favourite serving suggestions!
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 15th to 18th 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).