Oils
Rapeseed Oil
Chili Oil
Dressings
Blackberry Vinaigrette
Classic Vinaigrette
Balsamic Dressing
Honey & Mustard
Ultimate Chilli DressingAs the days stretch a little longer and the first signs of spring start peeking through, our kitchens naturally follow suit. We’re craving fresher flavours and brighter colours…but we’re not quite ready to give up the comfort of a warm, nourishing bowl just yet!
To celebrate the shift in seasons, we’ve gathered five delicious spring recipes to try this March. Each one hero’s the gentle, buttery warmth of our Mellow Yellow Cold Pressed Rapeseed oil and the vibrant lift of good ingredients and fresh produce, bringing you dishes that feel fresh, energising, yet still comforting when we need a little boost.
Hot Honey Halloumi Grains Bowl
Quick‑pickled radishes, herby grains, charred purple sprouting broccoli, and golden halloumi meet a drizzle of hot honey and sesame for a bowl that’s fresh, zippy, and full of Spring energy.
Get the recipe
Hot Honey Halloumi Grain Bowl & Pickled Radishes
Crispy Gnocchi Vegetable Traybake
When we initially posted this recipe by Heather at Rhind & Dine, we were inundated with comments. People loved the ease of cooking everything together in a tray, yet it’s layered with the kinds of bold and robust flavours that often take a lot longer to achieve. The beauty of it is that you can switch out the winter sprouts and cavolo nero for any kind of seasonal veg, making it a great go-to for any season or any mood.
Get the recipe.
Crispy Gnocchi Winter Veg Traybake
Asparagus, Radish & New Potato Salad
We’re on the cusp of Asparagus season and if you’re lucky, you may have seen some of those bright green spears coming through in your local greengrocers or farm shop already. This tasty salad by Jenny at The Salty Chilli really champions fresh, seasonal veg and can be tweaked depending on what’s available to you at the time (or indeed what your mood dictates!). We just love the clash of colours, textures and flavours, it is a beautiful plate and the perfect canvas for our Honey & Mustard dressing.
Get the recipe.
Asparagus, radish and feta salad
Make a mayo
We’re huge fans of making homemade mayo in the Mellow Yellow kitchen. It’s surprisingly easy to achieve with our Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil, and if you have a stick blender, it comes together in seconds. Cheaper and way more tastier than ready made shop bought mayonnaise.
Get the recipe.
Homemade mayonnaise
Flatbreads With Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Fluffy and bubbly with light, crispy edges, these homemade flatbreads are a wonderful weapon in your mid-week meal mastery and make a great base for all sorts of toppings. They work brilliantly with our roasted red pepper hummus and can be served open or rolled up with salad and your choice of protein. Versatile & delicious!
Flatbreads with roasted red pepper hummus
When it comes to cooking oils, it’s easy to get lost in the noise. One week an oil is a hero, the next it’s a villain. But step back from the headlines, and a calmer, clearer picture emerges: especially when we look at cold‑pressed rapeseed oil.
At Mellow Yellow, we’ve always believed in keeping things simple, transparent and genuinely useful. So here’s a grounded, evidence‑based look at why cold‑pressed rapeseed oil is such a brilliant everyday choice, and why so many cooks (home and professional) are rediscovering its quiet magic.
1. Naturally low in saturated fat
Cold‑pressed rapeseed oil is one of the lowest‑saturated‑fat culinary oils available. That matters because saturated fat is the type we’re generally advised to keep an eye on. Choosing an oil that’s naturally lower in it (that’s avoided any kind of heavy processing) is an easy, everyday win. Mellow Yellow’s cold‑pressed rapeseed oil typically contains around half the saturated fat of olive oil, making it a heart‑friendly option for everything from frying eggs to baking cakes.
2. A beautifully balanced fat profile
One of the most positive points nutrition experts consistently highlight about rapeseed oil is its balance of fats:
- High in monounsaturated fats (the same “good fats” olive oil is celebrated for)
- Rich in omega‑3 (more than most common cooking oils)
- A favourable omega‑3 to omega‑6 ratio, especially compared with many refined seed oils that are produced with hexane and solvents to change their structure.
This balance supports overall wellbeing and makes rapeseed oil a smart everyday staple rather than a special occasion oil like a beautiful Extra Virgin Olive Oil (which we also love here at Mellow Yellow).
3. A high smoke point: ideal for real‑world cooking
Cold‑pressed rapeseed oil has a naturally high smoke point, meaning it stays stable at the temperatures we actually cook at for things like roasting, frying, sautéing and baking. Where some oils burn, smoke or turn bitter, rapeseed oil stays calm and steady. That’s one of the reasons chefs love it and why it’s such a reliable partner in a busy home kitchen that prioritises scratch cooking.
4. Cold‑pressed = flavour, nutrients and integrity
Not all seed oils are created equally. The concerns people often hear about “seed oils” usually relate to highly refined, chemically extracted, ultra‑processed oils. The kind of oils that have been bleached and deodorised to ensure every ounce of oil is extracted from the seed, before being placed in ultra-processed foods. Cold‑pressed oils are different. Cold‑pressing is a gentle, mechanical process with no solvents, no bleaching, no deodorising. It preserves the natural golden colour of oil, the delicate nutty flavour and the micronutrients naturally present in the seed.
Mellow Yellow is simply pressed, filtered and bottled: there’s nothing added and nothing taken away. That’s why it tastes like something grown, not manufactured. And it’s why we refer to it as “the process of no process”.
5. Incredibly versatile: one bottle (or pouch!) endless uses
One of the most positive things about rapeseed oil is how adaptable it is. Its subtle flavour means it supports ingredients rather than overpowering them, making it an ideal choice for anyone who loves honest, flavour‑first cooking.
Try it for: dressings and dips, roasting veg, shallow frying, marinades, baking (for beautifully light cakes), everyday sautéing.
6. Grown locally, with a lighter footprint
You’ll know it’s early summer in Britain when the countryside suddenly blushes gold and those glorious rapeseed fields bursting into bloom, like swathes of sunshine unfurled across the landscape! It’s a sight we never tire of (particularly after a long, grey winter) and we like to think it serves as a reminder that some of the most beautiful things we cook with begin right here at home.
Rapeseed thrives in our wonderfully unpredictable UK climate, meaning fewer food miles, gentler environmental impact and a supply chain you can trace from field to bottle. For us, it serves as a lovely detail of provenance and is the very heart of who we are. Choosing a local oil isn’t just good for flavour, it supports British farming and reduces the environmental impact of your everyday cooking.
7. A flavour that feels like home
Cold‑pressed rapeseed oil has a gentle, nutty warmth that feels familiar and comforting. It’s subtle enough for everyday cooking but characterful enough to shine in dressings and drizzles.
If you’ve only ever used refined vegetable oil or strong olive oil, the first taste of a cold‑pressed rapeseed oil like Mellow Yellow can be a revelation and one we think you might like to keep in your kitchen for the long term.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on our oil (and other oils) what do you use in your kitchen and how? Do you have a preference for oils to cook or drizzle with? Tell us what you think at hello@farrington-oils.co.uk.
There’s something deeply comforting about a homemade pie, the kind that fills the kitchen with warmth, promises a flaky crust, and delivers a filling that’s delightfully rich and savoury. And if there’s a time for pie, it’s the darkest depths of winter when we crave hearty food to warm us from the inside out.
Food writer and recipe developer Emily Gussin captured that feeling beautifully in her mushroom and Stilton pie, a recipe that layers chestnut, oyster, shiitake and porcini mushrooms into a creamy, umami‑packed sauce. But the real twist (the part that makes this pie stand out before you’ve even taken a bite), is the pastry.
Instead of butter, Emily uses Mellow Yellow Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil to create a crust that’s golden, crisp, and wonderfully crumbly. Technically it creates a beautiful flaky texture. But it’s also a win for flavour and colour – bringing a subtly nutty, golden-hue to the crust.
What makes Emily’s recipe so clever is the balance. The filling is rich, creamy and full of umami depth, but the oil‑based pastry keeps the overall dish from feeling too heavy. It’s comfort food with a lighter touch that’s perfect for cosy evenings, Sunday suppers, or any time you want something that feels special without being fussy.
Why rapeseed oil makes such beautiful pastry
1) A naturally golden finish
The warm, buttery colour of cold pressed rapeseed oil gives pastry a gorgeous golden tone even before it hits the oven. After baking, the crust deepens into a rich, burnished gold (no egg wash required).
2) Crisp, crumbly texture
Oil‑based pastry behaves differently from butter pastry. It’s lighter, more delicate, and has a lovely short, crumbly bite. For a hearty, indulgent filling like mushrooms and Stilton, that contrast works perfectly.
3) A chance to pack in extra nutrients
Because the oil is cold pressed, it retains its natural antioxidants and Omega‑3s. You get a pastry that’s not only delicious but also brings a little nutritional goodness to the table. Find out more about the health benefits of cold pressed rapeseed oil.
4) Foolproof mixing
No rubbing in or worrying about warm hands. You simply pour the oil into the flour and mix. It coats the flour evenly, helping prevent overworking and giving you a reliably tender crust.
If you’ve never tried making pastry with rapeseed oil, Emily’s Mushroom and Stilton pie is the perfect place to start.
British cold pressed rapeseed oil is the unsung hero of healthy cooking oils. With its low saturated fat content, naturally high Omega 3 levels, and a delicate nutty flavour, it’s the perfect alternative to olive oil or butter for everyday dishes and indulgent treats.
Here are five tasty ways to make this versatile, sustainable oil shine in your kitchen:
Bake beautiful cakes
Swap butter or sunflower oil for cold pressed rapeseed oil in sponge or loaf cakes. Its subtle flavour lets ingredients sing, while the healthier fat profile makes bakes lighter without compromising on texture. Try this moist lemon loaf cake, classic beetroot & chocolate cake, or even a seasonal showstopper like our refreshingly easy Christmas cake.
Make a Vibrant Dressing
Whisk vinegar or lemon juice with mustard, then drizzle in the rapeseed oil and honey for a quick, zingy salad dressing. Its smooth texture and mild nuttiness balance sharp flavours beautifully, making it ideal for drizzling over fresh greens or roasted vegetables.
Roast the Crispiest Potatoes
Step aside duck fat! For golden, crunchy roasties, rapeseed oil is unbeatable. Its high smoke point means you can crank up the oven without worry, ensuring potatoes that are fluffy inside and irresistibly crisp outside. We suggest starting with our garlic and rosemary roast potatoes for a next level roastie experience. Or simply pop potatoes into our recipe search box and try them all!
Sear Meat to Perfection
Whether you’re cooking steak, chicken, or lamb, rapeseed oil’s high smoke point makes it ideal for sautéing onions and searing meat, locking in bold flavours and delivering that beautifully caramelised, restaurant‑style crust you’d expect from a chef’s kitchen.
Make a Creamy Mayonnaise
Homemade mayo is a game-changer, and rapeseed oil gives it a silky texture with a subtle nutty note. Blend egg yolks, mustard, and vinegar, then slowly drizzle in rapeseed oil until it emulsifies into a luscious spread. Perfect for sandwiches, dips, or dolloping onto roasted veg, it’s so easy to make and entirely additive-free. Try this roasted garlic mayonnaise by Sophie at The Corner Plot (just don’t expect it to hang around for long…)
Why Choose Rapeseed Oil?
– Low in saturated fat – for heart-friendly cooking.
– Rich in Omega 3 – supporting a balanced diet.
– Versatile – from baking to frying, dressings to dips.
– No air miles – Grown, pressed, filtered & bottled on our British farm
– Delicious – with a subtle buttery, nutty flavour
Cold pressed rapeseed oil isn’t just another ingredient; it’s a kitchen essential that elevates everyday cooking while supporting a healthier lifestyle.
Find out more about the health benefits of Mellow Yellow.
Explore our Mellow Yellow recipes for more cooking inspiration.
If you’ve ever picked up a bottle of Mellow Yellow cold pressed rapeseed oil or drizzled one of our dressings over a fresh salad, chances are Rachel Lindsay had something to do with it. Our Commercial Manager of 10 years, she works tirelessly to connect our products with the people who love them: from home cooks to professional chefs, national and independent retailers to regional and national UK wholesalers.
But her role doesn’t stop there. Rachel is the face behind our promotional plans and the passionate advocate presenting to wholesale teams and chefs about the benefits of our oils and dressings. Whether she’s hosting a farm visit, chatting with loyal customers, or promoting rapeseed oil benefits, she brings a deep understanding of what makes Mellow Yellow so special and is a passionate advocate for sustainably produced British rapeseed oil.
“I love working with such a wide variety of customers,” Rachel shares. “Every conversation teaches me something new, and I’m always looking for ways to apply those insights to improve how we work. We’ve witnessed positive growth for our chef-approved oils, and one of the best rewards is seeing how chefs use Mellow Yellow in professional kitchens. It’s a constant source of inspiration!”
Working closely with our brilliant Operations Manager, Becky, to ensure we produce just the right amount of product to meet demand (never too little, never too much), Rachel always has an eye on quality – ensuring every single customer we supply gets the freshest, highest-quality oils.
So next time you enjoy a splash of Mellow Yellow, know that Rachel’s dedication helped bring it to your table. She’s not just managing our commercial strategy, she’s building relationships, championing sustainability, and helping our brand grow with purpose.
Looking for easy home-cooked meals that are healthy, flavourful, and simple to make? You’re in the right place! Meet Eli — co-founder of Mellow Yellow and the creative mind behind our most-loved Mellow Yellow rapeseed oil recipes. Her passion for simple cooking and natural ingredients shines through every dish.
Each recipe is crafted with care, tested in the Mellow Yellow kitchen, and designed to help you cook with confidence. Whether you’re planning a plant-based dinner, a quick lunch, or a comforting bake, these dishes are guaranteed to bring joy to your kitchen.
Beetroot & Chocolate Cake
Moist, rich, and naturally vibrant – this family favourite cake recipe dates back to post-war Britain, when beetroot was used to deepen the chocolate colour. Eli’s version is more indulgent—with chocolate chips and Mellow Yellow cold-pressed rapeseed oil for a soft, velvety texture.
Her daughters still request it every time they visit!
Seed & Nut Granola
Skip the supermarket shelves and make your own healthy granola recipe at home. Packed with seeds, nuts, and Mellow Yellow oil, this crunchy golden mix is perfect with yoghurt or as a snack. It’s one of Eli’s go-to breakfasts for busy mornings and you can put your own stamp on it with your choice of nuts and fruits.
Honey & Mustard Sausage Hot Pot
A one-pot comfort dish for the whole family, this easy sausage casserole is a Duncan original—just layer your ingredients, pop it in the oven, and enjoy an hour later. Perfect for those busy days when you don’t have stacks of time to cook, but still want something hearty and delicious, it is a great way to use up root veg.
Squash with Black Beans & Tahini
Inspired by Ottolenghi, this plant-based dinner is packed with protein and flavour and combines squash, black beans, herbs, and tahini for a satisfying, nutrient-rich meal. It’s proof that meat-free cooking can be hearty, wholesome, and absolutely delicious!
Cottage Cheese & Honey on Toast
Need a quick lunch idea with a spicy twist? This high-protein toast topping is a genius combo of cottage cheese, honey, sea salt, and a drizzle of Mellow Yellow Chilli Oil. It’s one of Eli’s favourite easy lunch recipes—and dangerously moreish!
Crispy Roast Potatoes
Golden, fluffy, and healthier than goose fat! Made with our cold-pressed rapeseed oil, these roasties are crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and packed with flavour. They’re a staple in the Mellow Yellow kitchen and a must-have for any Sunday roast dinner.
Try our Garlic & Rosemary Roast Potatoes
Explore all of our recipes and cook something delicious today!
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 have just completed our 2024 carbon audit with One Carbon World and are delighted to announce that, for 6 years in a row, Farrington’s Mellow Yellow continues to be fully carbon neutral.
In 2019, we were classified as the World’s first food brand to be certified carbon and plastic neutral. A wonderful accolade for a small business like ours, and a huge pat on the back for all the work we’re doing on our LEAF Marque farm. But a label like that also carries a lot of responsibility with it, and farming (as any farmer will attest too) is not always an easy journey…
The evermore unreliable weather, pests (we’re looking at you pigeons and flea beetles!), diseases and crop nutrition all play a role in how crops progress. And as farmers we have to respond to that in the best possible way to ensure our land and nature thrives alongside our crops.
With the help of a highly proactive team and by working shoulder to shoulder with some brilliant minds in the industry, we’ve been able to reduce our relative carbon emissions by 30% over the last four years. We’ve done this in a variety of ways: putting solar panels on the roofs of our barns, fitting LED lights, experimenting with new ways of regenerative farming, lowering our farm diesel usage by 33% and using cover crops to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere.
Additionally, the use of organic forms of nitrogen has helped us dramatically reduce our use of synthetic nitrogen by 22%. We’ve tried several ideas in our soil over the years, with sewage sludge being a mainstay, providing a healthy cocktail of carbon, phosphate, nitrogen, sulphur, zinc and more to energise the soil and feed all those important microorganisms. Our latest trial with molasses is proving a real winner as it feeds bacteria in the soil, which in turn nourish the crops.
Doing the right thing for the land is woven into the fabric of Farrington Oils. Yes, we could do things quicker. Yes, we could do things in a more cost effective way. But that would mean compromises would be made – including the health of the soil. Given the world’s soils actually hold more than three times the amount of carbon than is in the atmosphere, we simply don’t want to take that risk.
So, we’ll continue to navigate this challenging and enlightening road, work collectively with organisations like LEAF and One Carbon World to constantly improve what we do, whilst sourcing viable, long-term solutions that support us in staying true to our ethos of healthy soils = healthy oils.
Read more about our Sustainability Credentials
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