Oils
Rapeseed Oil
Chili Oil
Dressings
Classic Vinaigrette
Balsamic Dressing
Honey & Mustard
Chili & CuminDo you love finding new local food producers, farm shops, restaurants and pubs? Well we do too, so we’re proud to now be part of Great Food Club. Great Food Club is an independent website that selects and recommends local food and drink independents. Based purely on merit, Great Food Club checks all its members before allowing them to be listed on the site. They use the simple criteria of ‘would we recommend this to our foodie friends?’ The great news is, they would happily recommend us!
One of our favourite things about the Great Food Club it’s perfect for finding great food in your local area. We’re incredibly proud of the fact that we are a Northamptonshire producer and so this guide is great for other Northamptonians to hear about us. By simply entering your post code, you can discover a world of fantastic foodie finds, right on your doorstep!
It is free to join the Great Food Club. Simply head over to www.greatfoodclub.co.uk and sign up. It is a fantastic way for foodies to find local producers, restaurants and shops in their local area. They will send you a membership card, which you can use in certain establishments to claim a discount.
You can find us on Great Food Club at http://www.greatfoodclub.co.uk/business/farringtons-oils/. If you love our products, which we hope you do, please feel free to leave a review and let everyone know!
Not only available in shops, we also sell our oil to various pubs, restaurants and cafes across the UK for use in their kitchens. Many of these businesses use our oil in interesting and innovative ways, and The Mermaid at Ellington is no exception!
The Mermaid can be found in the idyllic Cambridgeshire village of Ellington in a beautiful 14th Century public house. The name comes from the old ships timber used in its construction many years ago. The owner and head chef, Nick Marriott, is a Michelin star-trained chef who is passionate about bringing vibrant and refreshingly new ideas to a characteristic and historic country pub.
Having used our oil for a while, Nick recently contacted us with an idea. He wanted to use our rapeseed before it was pressed, and instead, germinate the seeds for an exciting new dish.
Here’s what Nick had to say about this innovative new way of using rapeseed:
“Here at The Mermaid at Ellington, Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil has fast become our go to quality oil of choice. With it being high in mono-unsaturated fat, it ensures us cooking at high temperatures without corrupting its lovely nutty character & flavour.
We now also use rapeseeds to bring to life our ‘Snail Garden.’ We germinate the rapeseeds and grow them into small sprouts by soaking the seeds and keeping them in a warm area to do their work. This process usually takes around 5 days but is definitely worth the wait. The germinated rapeseed add a beautiful image and perfect texture of a real life soil, as well as adding an earthy flavour to the dish. Combining the rapeseed with puffed wild rice & quinoa, caramelised chicory & sesame, the ideal soil is created for the garden. Hidden underneath sits a smoked garlic yoghurt and finished with salsify bark, baby vegetables and rosemary branches with flowers from the Mermaid garden.
Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil is also a perfect option for dressings and creating flavoured oil in which we make a lemon grass & ginger oil for all our Asian style cooking. We very much recommend this high quality product.”
Thanks Nick!
For more information on The Mermaid at Ellington, head over to their website: http://www.themermaidellington.co.uk
Here at Farrington’s, we don’t use neonicotinoids on our rapeseed crop. This is for many reasons, mainly because of the concerns related to this pesticide and the effect on bees. You can read more about our bee friendly rapeseed and what else we do to keep the bees on our farm healthy and happy here.
Friends of the Earth, a campaign group looking for solutions to environmental problems, is concerned about the impact of neonicotinoids on bees and other pollinators and urged farmers to join them in pledging not to use neonicotinoids. We were asked us to join the Bee Friendly Shoppers Guide to Rapeseed Oil, of which we are 1 of only 7 rapeseed oil producers on this list. Of course we said yes! The guide aims to educate shoppers on which oils to buy, and how these oils are helping Britain’s bees. As part of the guide, we have pledged not to use the three neonicotinoid pesticides which are currently restricted across the EU, and will continue to avoid these pesticide even if the ban is lifted.
The Bee Friendly Shoppers Guide to Rapeseed Oil is supported by a number of leading chefs. These include Kevin Gratton, chef director for Mark Hix Restaurants, David Everitt-Matthias of Le Champignon Sauvage, Martin Burge, executive chef at Whatley Manor Hotel & Spa and Tom Hunt, eco chef owner of Poco Tapas Bar. Friends of the Earth, alongside the supporting farmers and chefs, are asking consumers to support the initiative by buying the bee-friendly rapeseed oils detailed in the guide.
Friends of the Earth’s Bee Campaigner, Nick Rau, said “We’re delighted Farrington’s Mellow Yellow is standing up for Britain’s bees by pledging not to use these three bee-harming pesticides on their rapeseed crops. They deserve our support. We hope more farmers and producers follow their lead and say no to these neonicotinoid pesticides. Nature-loving shoppers can back this pioneering initiative by checking out the Bee Friendly Shoppers Guide to Rapeseed Oil and choosing these products in supermarkets, local stores and online.”
To read more about the Bee Friendly Shoppers Guide to Rapeseed Oil, please visit: http://www.rapeseedoilguide.com/
We are very proud of our Northamptonshire heritage and it’s always wonderful when retailers and other suppliers give their support to local food produce and fly the ‘Made In Northamptonshire’ flag. www.underfinewraps.co.uk is a well-known hand-made hamper and gift company, based overlooking the stunning Rutland Water, and we asked founder Clare Underwood to write a guest blog for us, explaining why she chooses Farrington’s products for her innovative hamper lines. Here’s what she said:
“Our relationship with Farrington’s goes back to the very start, when I launched Under Fine Wraps with a small but carefully selected line of county themed hampers, beginning with our Northamptonshire Hamper.
It is our intention to always create hampers packed only with food, treats, snacks, and cooking produce that we ourselves are happy to eat at home. And our county hampers carry the added dimension of containing produce made in those counties, so when we wanted oils and mayonnaises from Northamptonshire, it simply had to be Farrington’s.
Our Northamptonshire Hamper features Farrington’s Mellow Yellow Rapeseed Oil, Mellow Yellow Balsamic Vinegar Dressing, and Mellow Yellow Mayonnaise – all of which are simply delicious. I cook with the rapeseed oil all the time, whether frying, roasting or baking and it’s exceptional as well as healthy.
And when Summer comes around, there’s barely a salad made in our house that isn’t splashed with the gorgeous Balsamic Vinegar Dressing. Personally, I think the combination of the cold pressed rapeseed oil with Aspall Apple Balsamic vinegar is genius and the added punch of garlic and basil is inspired.
When we started to expand our hamper range with the introduction of the Northamptonshire Food, Beer, and Wine Crate, we included the rapeseed oil and Mellow Yellow Honey and Mustard Dressing and now several of our seasonal Christmas hampers also feature Farrington’s.
Last year we launched our new ‘Manper’ range (hampers unashamedly designed primarily for men and packed with savoury goodies, top quality beers and wines) and I’m certain the Mellow Yellow Chilli Oil will be finding its way into a few of those.
We have a very simple rule at Under Fine Wraps: never put anything into a hamper that we ourselves wouldn’t eat and enjoy and we often put this to the test at food fairs and festivals, where we always offer samples of the produce from our hampers. Farrington’s oils and mayos are always very well received, particularly among keen amateur cooks, who really appreciate the high quality of the cold pressed rapeseed oil.
If you’re reading this and you live or work in Northamptonshire, or you’re originally from the county, then I’d really suggest you try out our Northamptonshire Hamper. It’s a wonderful selection of Northamptonshire-sourced foods from passionate and artisan producers including, the county’s very own wine! Beautifully packed in a quality, hand woven wicker hamper with leather straps and hinges, it makes a lovely gift.
In fact, it’s very popular as a corporate gift and one of our lovely customers uses them in their employee rewards scheme and as staff birthday and wedding gifts. Lucky them, I say!”
To try Farrington’s oils and mayonnaises alongside carefully matched fine wines, whiskies, beers, and ales, why not visit www.UnderFineWraps.co.uk
Neonicotinoids insecticides hit the headlines because their use for controlling cabbage stem flea beetle in crops of rapeseed and the suspected links to declining numbers of honeybees and native bumble bees. At Farrington’s we have more questions from our valued customers about this, than any other topic. Before I go any further, just to confirm we are growing bee friendly rapeseed, we do not use Neonicotinoids in growing our rapeseed and do not intend to if the ban is lifted.
How we grow our crops and look after the wider environment has always been my top priority at Bottom Farm. Indeed, I joined LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) back in 1997 to learn more about doing the right thing in this area.
Why is Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle such a problem?
Rapeseed plants grow from the tiny little black seeds planted at the end of August each year. The first few weeks are vital in the survival of the crop, which requires a warm, moist soil to help it germinate and tentatively put its head above the surface, from which the tender young plants start to grow. However, these young tender plants are delicious to a number of predators including flea beetles. So much so that if the conditions are right for flea beetles, they can completely wipe out a crop overnight. After which it is often too late to replant a second crop of rapeseed, as the soil temperature has dropped below the minimum required for the plant to grow.
What is a Neonicotinoid?
Neonicotinoids are a group of insecticides based on nicotine. In rapeseed, the chemical is coated in tiny amounts onto the seed to be planted and moves (is translocated) into the growing plant as it emerges from the soil. When a flea beetle nibbles on said plant, there is just enough of the toxic chemical to kill the pest. But otherwise, it is a specifically targeted use of an insecticide in an ingenious way.
Concerns grew that numbers of both honey bees and bumble bees were declining, so scientists explored the potential causes. It appears there are several possible causes including; loss of habitat for bees to feed on and live in; potential pests and diseases affecting bees, such as Varroa mite; changing weather patterns, such as cool damp springs; use of agricultural pesticides.
Some research suggested that small amounts of Neonicotinoid translocated through to the pollen and nectar in the flowering rapeseed plants. When bees visited these flowers they were inadvertently ingesting the chemical which was causing them to lose their bearings; a bit like us trying to find our way home after having too much of a good night in the pub. Other research suggested longer term damage to the fertility of the bee colony.
Although research appeared inconclusive with the debate on both sides being passionate, the EU restricted the use of Neonicotinoids on rapeseed crops from 2013, until such time that more conclusive evidence is shown.
Growing Bee Friendly Rapeseed.
I use several approaches to try and grow a successful crop of rapeseed whilst looking after our bee populations.
– I use a crop rotation and have extended the rapeseed from one in 3 years, to one in 4 to 5 years. This will provide a bigger gap between the crop so as there is less food around for the flea beetle to live off, that will hopefully in time reduce the risk of attack.
– Established wildflower meadow areas around the farm to create a perfect habitat with a variety of pollinating plants for bees and other beneficial insects to live off.
– Planting the crop into fertile soil, with the use of a healthy crop rotation which includes nutrient building cover crops to give the rapeseed the best possible chance to grow quickly out of the danger period when it is susceptible to flea beetle damage. This is backed up with a small amount of fertiliser if required.
– A local beekeeper has hives on the farm. The bees help fertilise our rapeseed and other crops, making delicious honey in the process.
– I am experimenting by growing companion crops of vetch and clover within the rapeseed. These create a friable soil structure and add nutrition to help the rapeseed plant grow well. It may also confuse a passing flea beetle as to what crop is actually growing in the field and may pass by unaware that their favourite meal is below them.
– As a final resort, we use an insecticide as found in head lice shampoo to kill bad infestations of flea beetle. If we use this, we make sure we spray the crop early in the morning or late at night, as the flea beetle will still be feeding on the crop, but the bees are all tucked up in bed.
In Summary, this hopefully explains some of the conundrums I have as a farmer in trying to do the best thing. Hopefully also, as I write in December 2016, with a temperature of -4.5°C this morning, I am confident that nature will help us enormously in reducing the number of flea beetles surviving the winter.
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!
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
The Foodurchin has been a fan of ours for some time, he has used the oil on his blog in the past, and also very much likes the mayonnaise. Rumour has it that there will be a mayo tasting at some stage. www.foodurchin.blogspot.com
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.
We’ve been playing around with this for some time, eggs, oil and tears have literally gone into it. Eli’s been busy mixing, whilst Duncan and the rest of the team have been busy tasting. We’ve tried it on salads (of course); in sandwiches; on chips; and dipped many a spoon in. At last we now have a new mayonnaise to be proud of, and something your customers will want to buy!
This classic Mayonnaise is uncompromising on health, taste, and quality. Using Farrington’s award winning MELLOW YELLOW® cold pressed rapeseed oil as the base; which is naturally low in saturated fat, full of Omega 3 and combining British free range eggs, a hint of Dijon mustard, and a lemony sharpness, this additive free mayonnaise will brilliantly complement any food.
To celebrate the launch, we are delighted to have to have 20 FREE entrance tickets available (worth £25 each!) for the first 20 people who email us (One ticket per organisation). If you wish to book tickets online, you can get 20% off the entrance price by entering the code PH4KK. For more information on the festival please visit www.realfoodfestival.co.uk
To stock our mayonnaise or for more information, please email info@farrington-oils.co.uk or call 01933 622809