Food Archives - Farrington Oils

We’re often asked why we don’t label our rapeseed oil as extra virgin cold pressed. After all, our gentle, minimal processing mirrors that of the highest-quality olive oils — cold pressing our seeds to preserve that authentic flavour, colour and nutrition.

So why don’t we use the term?

Quite simply, “extra virgin” is a standard rooted firmly in the world of olive oil — a category with its own rich heritage, regulatory benchmarks and traditions. We have huge respect for the olive oil industry and everything it represents. That’s why we choose not to borrow it for our rapeseed oil, even though our values of quality, care and authenticity are very much the same.

We believe every oil has a place at the table. Whether you’re drizzling, roasting or baking, what matters is how it’s made, where it’s from, and the people behind it. That’s why we champion production on a smaller scale, and why transparency, sustainability and taste are at the heart of everything we do.

Great oil doesn’t need to imitate — it just needs to be really true to its roots.

We were thrilled to welcome the team from Young’s Pubs to our farm in Northamptonshire to give them a first-hand look at how we grow and press our award-winning rapeseed oil. Development Chef, Holly and her team joined founder, Duncan and Commercial Manager, Rachel in our golden fields to explore what we call the ‘process of no process’.

From planting and harvesting our rapeseed to the simple yet careful steps of pressing, filtering, and bottling, we were delighted to share the Mellow Yellow life cycle with one of our most important customers. But more than just a visit, this was an opportunity to bring grower and chef together—to deepen the understanding of ingredients at their source and celebrate the best of British food.

We know that when chefs connect directly with the land and the people who grow the food, incredible things happen. We’ve experienced it many times with local chef James Peck, back in November when Executive Project Chef, Dang Pham from Lexington Catering came to visit, and again more recently when Executive Chef, Stuart Purdy from Bespoke Food Group joined us for a full farm tour. Similar sentiments were echoed by Michelin star chef and friend, Adam Gray in an interview with Mash + Mint about his life in food. Adam has been using Mellow Yellow for the past 20 years and is a great example of a chef who cares deeply about provenance and seasonality.

When a connection is made, the appreciation for quality, sustainability, and innovation in the kitchen only grows stronger, creating dishes that champion real flavour and provenance.

A huge thank you to Young’s Pubs for making the journey—here’s to more collaborations that bring field-to-fork storytelling to life.

This year marks 20 incredible years since Duncan pressed the first batch of seeds into our Mellow Yellow cold-pressed rapeseed oil. What started as a small business idea to diversify the family farm in Northamptonshire, has grown into a national success, with bottles aligning supermarket shelves and serving as the oil of choice in some of Britain’s top restaurants.

Whilst a huge amount has happened in 20 years, one thing has remained unchanged: our commitment to simplicity and excellence using a very simple process of production.

As a brand we’ve always remained steadfast that cold pressed rapeseed oil is very much our homegrown version of imported olive oil. And whilst we believe there is a place for every oil at the table, we are proud to offer an oil that is grown and produced sustainably, that’s carbon neutral, offers great health benefits and huge versatility in the kitchen.

The early days…

Back in 2005, Duncan Farrington and his mother produced the very first batch of Mellow Yellow. Armed with the first bottles of golden oil, Duncan loaded up his battered old Golf car and drove around local shops, securing eight customers—and a speeding ticket in Northampton for his enthusiasm!

One of those early customers, a local butcher, was hesitant at first. But after Duncan explained how Mellow Yellow creates the perfect sear on meat as well as gorgeous golden roast potatoes, he agreed to give it a go. Two weeks later, he called back—he needed more oil. That shop has been a loyal customer ever since.

Whilst Duncan was working on farming, production and sales, Eli was busy in the farmhouse kitchen testing out recipes and dressings using Mellow Yellow. That same kitchen remains the hub of the brand today; the place where new products emerge and delicious seasonal recipes are founded.

Phenomenal Growth, Same Pure Quality

Mellow Yellow has grown exponentially beyond those first few bottles. What started with one press in a grain store has expanded to 18 presses, a new warehouse, and a 14-person team. In fact, we can now bottle as much oil in a single day as we sold in our entire first year!

Along the way, we’ve won prestigious awards, secured national listings with Waitrose and Sainsbury’s, and even caught the attention of big chefs including Nigella Lawson and Michelin-star chefs, Michel Roux Junior and Adam Gray. A particularly poignant moment was when Sheila Dillion visited the farm to make a Radio 4 Food Programme on cold pressed rapeseed oil, which led to a doubling of sales overnight. Then Duncan received the good news that he was to receive an MBE in the 2025 King’s New Year’s Honours list for services to Agriculture and the Food & Drink industry.

It’s been a productive and rewarding 20 years of growth for Mellow Yellow, but despite all of this, our ‘process of no process’ remains at the heart of everything we do. We simply grow and press the LEAF marque seed, filter the oil and place it in bottles. And every one of those bottles undergoes over 30 tests, ensuring sustainability, quality, and that glorious subtle, nutty flavour Mellow Yellow is prized for.

Looking Ahead

Reflecting on 20 years, Duncan says: “We’ve grown beyond what I ever imagined, but one thing has never changed—our commitment to simplicity and excellence. The process of no process is still at the heart of everything we do and I’m forever grateful to the farmers we work with and my team that have worked so hard collectively to make Mellow Yellow the brand it is today.”

As we celebrate this milestone, we want to thank everyone who has supported us—from our loyal customers and brilliant suppliers to our incredible team. Mellow Yellow is ready for the next 20 years, continuing to bring pure, natural products to kitchens everywhere.

Here’s to another two decades of Mellow Yellow magic!

We’re thrilled to unveil a bold new addition to the Farrington’s family as part of our 20th anniversary celebrations — Mellow Yellow Blackberry Vinaigrette!

A true British classic, crafted with love, care, and the finest ingredients, this vinaigrette is the perfect match for any meal. At its heart lies our signature Mellow Yellow cold pressed rapeseed oil, with cyder vinegar, mustard, garlic, sea salt and blackberry, blended together to create a true flavour hit.

Eli and the team worked hard to formulate a dressing that brought something new and original to the market, whilst offering that versatility in the kitchen we know you all love. The result is a dressing that’s both bold and tangy, yet fruity and sharp. It’s wonderful drizzled on salads, but also brings magic to a marinade and depth to oven-roasted vegetables and protein. Alternatively, dive into it as a dip with charcuterie boards – the bold fruitiness compliments the creamy sharpness of cheese perfectly…

We could talk about Blackberry Vinaigrette for hours, but the reality is it represents so much more than a simple product launch. For us, it marks 20 years of producing our Mellow Yellow oils and dressings, and is a real celebration of how far we’ve come. Duncan echoed these sentiments recently in an interview with Speciality Food which focused on his pioneering journey and passion for British produce. It was a wonderful opportunity for him to reflect on the Mellow Yellow journey so far and talk about the important work we do here on the farm. Interestingly, we now produce the same number of bottles per day that we made in our entire first year!

So, as we get our new Blackberry Vinaigrette onto the production line, we’ll be taking some time this year to reflect on what we’ve created in Mellow Yellow (and maybe pop a champagne cork or two!). Look out for Blackberry Vinaigrette online and on shelf soon. We’re very proud of our special edition bottle and hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we do.

Cheers!

We’ve been producing cold pressed rapeseed oil on our farm for 20 years and in that time, we’ve seen opinions and trends around culinary oils shift dramatically. It’s been interesting to observe these waves of change – many of which are led by social media influencers, fad diets and quite often backed by misinformation.

Over the past year however, we’ve seen a substantial rise in the use of cold pressed rapeseed oil amongst health-conscious consumers and cooks. We know that the hefty price of olive oil is driving people to more cost-effective culinary oils. But the move to cold pressed rapeseed oil can also be attributed to growing awareness of its nutritional advantages over other cooking oils, backed by a more positive conversation that’s rooted in sound evidence and science.

Doctor Sarah Berry, Professor of Nutrition at King’s College London and Chief Scientist at Zoe discussed at length on the Zoe podcast how seed oils, including rapeseed oil, can lower the risk of heart disease. Nutritionist, May Simpkin published an interesting comparison piece on her blog comparing the nutritional values of British-produced cold pressed oils and heavily processed, refined canola oils. Whilst the Wellness Scoop highlighted the benefits of seed oils, with nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert citing: “Rapeseed oil has very similar properties to olive oil, if not when it’s cold pressed, superior properties, actually. It can be a very good oil to cook with. It’s high in Vitamin E, it’s a natural antioxidant. And there’s so much research that shows it actually lowers bad cholesterol.”

It’s been reassuring to witness the conversation return to sensible territory. We are a company that cares deeply about the provenance of our oil and the benefit it can offer for human health. We’ve always known cold pressed rapeseed oil is a sound choice nutritionally. Our mechanical pressing process preserves natural nutrients, antioxidants, and vitamins, resulting in an oil that’s low in saturated fat with the ideal ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. The fact that it’s grown here in Britain and offers so much versatility in the kitchen are both equally important attributes to be treasured.

So, thank you to the educated voices working so hard to dispel the myths and present consumers with sound, logical advice when it comes to culinary oils.

We know health can look very different from one person to another, but our ethos has always been to cook from scratch, focus on variety in the diet, use wholefood ingredients and treat yourself now and again. Happy, healthy and balanced – surely that’s a recipe we can all get on board with?

Read more about the health benefits of cold pressed rapeseed oil

Get inspired by our recipes

See our oil comparison

We are thrilled to announce that our brilliant founder, Duncan Farrington, has been awarded an MBE for services to agriculture and the food and drink industry in the King’s New Year Honours List 2025.

The Cabinet Office praised Duncan as a “prominent voice in the promotion of regenerative farming techniques” and a “role model to other farmers across the UK”. And as we look forward to celebrating 20 years of Mellow Yellow in 2025, this couldn’t have come at a better time!

There have been multiple milestones worth celebrating in our Mellow Yellow journey to date. From pioneering Britain’s first seed-to-bottle cold-pressed rapeseed oil in 2005, to becoming the world’s first culinary oil certified by the UN as carbon neutral in 2020, our journey has been filled with innovation and a commitment to sustainability. And as a LEAF marque producer and demonstration farm, we’re excited to see what we can achieve in 2025 as we work collaboratively towards a more sustainable food future.

To our amazing team, loyal chefs, customers and everyone who has been part of our journey – THANK YOU. Your belief in our mission and values has been instrumental in reaching this significant milestone.

Here’s to many more years of growth, sustainability, and positive impact on our planet.

Mellow Yellow has proudly sponsored the culinary students at Westminster Kingsway College since 2020 – supplying our cold pressed rapeseed oil to the kitchen, where it’s worked into an array of traditional and innovative dishes under the guidance of Jose Souto – Chef Lecturer at the college for 20 years.

Part of Capital City College Group, London’s largest college group, and one of the country’s leading colleges in hospitality and culinary arts, Westminster Kingsway is renowned for nurturing some of the most famous chefs of our generation including Jamie Oliver, Ainsley Harriott and Anthony Worral Thompson.

The food landscape has changed a lot since these chefs burst onto our screens, but through quality educators like Jose, the quest for quality ingredients has remained integral to the training of chefs, with sustainable British ingredients in high demand as we head towards 2025. Not only do these young chefs want to learn how to make marinades, mayonnaise and confit potatoes, they are more engaged than ever in ingredient provenance and the importance of sustainability.

As a producer of carbon-neutral cold pressed rapeseed oil, it’s been encouraging to see a fresh wave of chefs wanting to connect with ingredients with genuine interest and curiosity. Chefs are looking for so much more from a culinary oil than quality and high smoke point. They want to understand the making of ingredients, the history of how – and where – they’re grown, and why preserving traditional production methods is important. Because ultimately these are the things that shine through the food they produce in the kitchen. They are part of the food story, part of their journey as a chef and part of the narrative the customer wishes to see when they sit down to eat.

Mellow Yellow ticks the quality, versatility and cost boxes for chefs. But it also carries that story of provenance, family history and British ingredients, as well as being the only sustainable, carbon-neutral choice for professional kitchens. Totally un-processed, it is a premium alternative to frequently used pomace oil, and a more cost-effective option than imported Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

From the many farm tours we’ve carried out at Bottom Farm this year, it’s clear that we all share the same common goal: to celebrate age old techniques and quality ingredients nurtured by British soil, whilst ensuring sustainability remains front and centre in our food systems.

We supply our Mellow Yellow oil to pubs, restaurants, hotels, business & industry, education & healthcare, travel & leisure. Find out more about Mellow Yellow for Food Service.

Every great kitchen needs a great culinary oil and we’re delighted to provide our cold-pressed rapeseed oil to some of the most progressive and creative chefs in the UK.

From bistros and pubs to corporate kitchens and fine dining – Mellow Yellow is the counter oil of choice for many commercial kitchens looking for a quality oil that won’t leave a huge dent in that bottom line. And we’re delighted to have some of the best in the business flying the flag for our sustainable oil, including Michelin-starred chef, Adam Gray who was one of the first to switch to Mellow Yellow when we started producing in 2005.

Whilst our focus is national, there’s something rather wonderful about supporting local businesses and we are proud to supply some award-winning restaurants close to our farm in Hargrave, including James Peck’s Ember and the Tollemache Arms in Harrington – winner of the much sought after ‘Great British Pub of the Year‘ Award. But whether it’s local or further afield, our mission will always be to provide the best oil for the job. And with a growing demand from the food service sector, it’s clear that chefs are realising that one of the best quality oils of all might just be right here on this little island of ours!

Not only does cold-pressed rapeseed oil provide a huge saving to businesses in comparison to olive oil, it’s also incredibly tasty and much healthier than typical pomace oils and refined olive oils. Cold pressed rapeseed oil is brimming with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E, whilst the subtle nutty flavour and high smoke point make it a dream to work with – bringing not just flavour, but an elevated texture to foods.

But chefs don’t just want quality and flavour, they want ingredients that tell stories, with authenticity, character and sustainability at the core. As a carbon-neutral brand, we are proud to be the sustainable choice here in the UK and have been hugely encouraged by this industry shift championing British produce – and honouring it – in more ways than ever.

Find out more about the value of our cold-pressed rapeseed oil for food service, our sustainability work and our Mellow Yellow values.

Industry praise from Adam and James:

“I have used Mellow Yellow cold pressed rapeseed oil since 2005 in all of my commercial kitchens and also in my kitchen at home. As a chef who is passionate about nutrition and sustainability, it ticks all the boxes for me and is exceptionally versatile and cost effective.”

– Adam Gray

“I love using Mellow Yellow, not only is it local, sustainable and far more cost effective than olive oil, but it is perfect when used around woodfire for its high smoke point, I have been using it for years and will continue to do so.”

– James Peck

We’re big fans of @emilyontoast here in the Mellow Yellow kitchen. A true creative at mustering up innovative, flavour-packed vegetarian meals and recipes, she has a penchant for anything on toast (as her Instagram handle suggests) and is a whizz with a bean!

Emily is known for her beautifully fresh seasonal dishes, with crisp, summer salads taking the stage in summer and warming winter stews and soups for winter. A big hit this year was her halloumi recipe series, which saw Emily conjure up a multitude of fresh vegetarian recipe ideas with halloumi – including this Mellow Yellow Potato, Pepper and Halloumi Traybake, which she made especially for Mellow Yellow.

We sat down with her to chat all things food…

What’s your desert island meal?

It’s probably a really good sourdough pizza with loads of garlic mayo for the crusts…

What do you love the most about food?

Other than the enjoyment of eating, it would have to be the creativity. The possibilities of combinations, new tastes, and flavours are endless.

Top go-to ingredient in your kitchen?

Hands down, it’s got to be sourdough bread. I’ve recently started to make my own and am completely hooked!

Most memorable meal?

It’s really hard to say one particular meal, but one side of my family is very food-orientated – we’ve lots of very good cooks in the family. On boxing day we always have the best spreads, where everyone chips in.

What is your favourite season for cooking?

Autumn without a doubt. Squash is probably my favourite vegetable. And as much as I LOVE salad season, I enjoy the shift towards more comforting meals when the weather cools down. There’s something so lovely and cosy about cooking and eating that kind of food when it’s freezing outside!

Cook Emily’s Mellow Yellow Potato, Pepper & Halloumi Traybake

Follow Emily on Instagram

Subscribe to her Substack ‘The Toast Chronicles’ for weekly recipe drops

As with most foods that you’ll find on the shelf, there are huge discrepancies in flavour, taste and texture, the majority of which come down to two things – quality of produce and production techniques.

Cultivation, ingredients, provenance, handling, packaging, storage – all of these factors play a HUGE role in how food looks, tastes and performs when we cook – not to mention the health benefits that it can bring to the table. Perfecting these processes form the foundation of everything we do here at Farrington’s Mellow Yellow, but it’s in our core method: the act of cold pressing our seeds, where the real conduit to quality and value lies.

A better way of doing things

In the same way that a cold pressed juice retains more vitamins, enzymes, minerals and antioxidants than it’s processed counterparts, cold pressed rapeseed oil offers very similar benefits. We never expose the seeds to heat, and we never add anything artificial. Our method simply allows us to extract every ounce of flavour from our seeds whilst maintaining nutritionally beneficial plant sterols, vitamins and healthy fats.

At Farrington’s Mellow Yellow our process is simple: we take the best quality seeds; mechanically squeeze them to release the oil and then filter through a large tea style strainer, before putting the fresh, pure oil in a bottle ready for you to enjoy. As part of this process, we carry out around 39 quality checks on every bottle of oil or salad dressing we make, ensuring only the very best is good enough. Simple pure Mellow Yellow pleasure!

Most culinary oils consumed globally are refined as opposed to being cold pressed. For olive oil this process includes using hexane solvent, phosphoric acid, caustic soda, water and temperatures reaching 250°C. For rapeseed oil the process includes hexane solvent and temperatures around 90°C. These industrial processes lose much of the quality, flavour and colour characteristics of the original oils. Refined olive oil is also referred to as pomace oil.

As the magic ingredient behind the healthy Mediterranean diet, olive oil is often perceived as the gold standard in oils. And it’s true – olive oil is great! But so are other oils too. And when it comes to health benefits, rapeseed oil supersedes olive oil in many ways, particularly when the oils are cold pressed.

At Farrington’s Mellow Yellow, we’re proud to produce a rapeseed oil with seeds originating from LEAF Marque grower farms and our own family farm here in Hargrave. We value traceability enormously and we are proud to be at the helm of our production line – sowing, growing and pressing the rapeseed oil into high quality, delicious bottles for you to enjoy at home.