How We Make Our Rapeseed Oil

The process of how our rapeseed oil is made is a question we are often asked and is something which is of much interest to our customers. We love that this is something other people are passionate about too. The process that we go through in producing our rapeseed oil is something that we hold great pride in.

If you have not been able to speak to us about this at one of the events that we attend, or delved into our blog archives, we thought we would provide you with a little up to date information on just how we make our delicious rapeseed oil.

From crop to bottle, every part of the process is handled by us on our purpose built premises in Ashford in the Water, Derbyshire. We are  Chatsworth tenant farmers and the oilseed rape crop is grown on our family farm, which we have farmed on for over 4 generations. So, what does this mean for the oil you buy? Well, firstly, each bottle of rapeseed oil that you purchase from us has the lowest possible food mileage. All online orders are posted out to you straight from the farm and if you see us at an event, that will be the only distance it has travelled with us. Secondly, as everything is grown and processed onsite, it gives us full quality control on the product that is being produced. We loved getting involved in every stage of the process, from bottling to selling, we do it all.

Rapeseed oil is made by pressing the seeds from the plant, oilseed rape.  Contrary to popular belief oilseed rape is not a new crop; its use in Britain can be dated back to when the Romans brought it to England to be used to burn in oil lamps. Oilseed rape is easily recognised by its bright yellow flowers, which blossom in May and June. 

We share consumers concerns about the use of glyphosphates such as roundup, and because of this we never use them on our standing crops of oilseed rape. Some farmers use them to speed up the maturing of the crop so that it dries quicker meaning they can harvest earlier. We don't agree with this method, so we use a Swathing machine, which is essentially a mower which cuts the crop and leaves it in rows (swaths) which then dry out naturally. Once the crop has reached the optimum moisture level we then “pick up” the crop with a combine harvester.

To extract the rapeseed oil, we use a process called cold pressing. Cold pressing is the simple and traditional method of producing oil. The seed is simply pressed (or squeezed) at a low temperature, which means that the oils natural rich golden colour and nutrients are preserved. Once the oil has settled, it is filtered and then bottled. It really is as simple as that. No heat, no chemicals just pure and healthy homegrown oil. We only press our seed once, this ensures that we only produce the highest quality, undiluted cold pressed rapeseed oil.

Our rapeseed oil is now available in a range of different flavours including garlic, basil, lemon, chilli, smoked and natural. We have also extended our product range too. Take a look on our online store to see more and shop.

We are very proud of our family's farming heritage and are happy to continue with this important British industry. 

If you have any other questions about any of our products, please do not hesitate to contact us.