It is a heart-warming sight that deserves to be bottled. On a sunny May morning in east Suffolk as far as the eye can see, the flat but gently rolling fields are a vibrant shade of yellow. Bees and butterflies are flitting around the blooming rape flowers which will gradually die off, leaving the seedpods to be harvested in July and August.

This scene of expanding fields of gold is being replicated across the UK as farmers turn more of their land over to growing rapeseed. Retail experts report it is now the fastest growing vegetable oil in the UK, with supermarkets expanding their ranges to meet shoppers’ appetite for a cheaper, healthier alternative to olive oil. Rapeseed oil has the lowest saturated fat content of any edible oil – just 6% compared with 14% in olive oil and 51% in butter –is rich in Omega 3 – which is good for blood circulation and young brains – and contains Omega 6 and 9.

The UK’s biggest brand is Farrington’s Mellow Yellow, which Nigella Lawson described in her cookbook Kitchen as her rapeseed oil of choice. More recently, the company was chosen to become a partner of Michel Roux Jr’s London cookery school where the chefs have been using the oil since the enterprise opened in 2013.

Production of Mellow Yellow rapeseed oil, Nigella Lawson’s favourite, at Bottom Farm, Northamptonshire. Photograph: David Rose/Rex Features

Galton Blackiston, owner of the Michelin-starred Morston Hall restaurant in north Norfolk, said his kitchens now used 99% cold-pressed rapeseed oil because of its improved flavour, consistency and versatility.

“I was first introduced to rapeseed oil about 18 years ago when a lady came to the door of my hotel and asked me to taste it,” he explained. “It was ‘cabbagey’ and unrefined. But the oil has improved in leaps and bounds through better production and filtering.”

For Morston Hall’s menu, Blackiston has devised a lemon-flavoured rapeseed oil ice-cream, barbecued asparagus drizzled with rapeseed oil, and almond and orange cake in which rapeseed oil provides a low-saturated-fat substitute for butter.

“It has a distinctive and subtle flavour that is earthy and nutty rather than fruity, and is fantastic for pan frying, deep frying and even baking. Importantly, I love using it because I know where it comes from,” Blackiston said.

The owner of Hillfarm Oils, Sam Fairs, started producing cold-pressed rapeseed oil in 2004, after feeling that the full value of rapeseed, then a little-hailed ingredient in generic vegetable oil, was not being achieved. His was the first company to have its rapeseed oil products sold in supermarkets and it has grown to become one of the UK’s largest producers, with production leaping from 2,000 litres in 2004 to 500,000 litres this year.

The family business, based in Heveningham, Suffolk, has doubled its production facilities over the last year to cope with growing consumer demand, which Fairs said was down to the oil’s health benefits, culinary versatility and affordability. “We are very proud of our product and believe that once our customers discover the mild flavour, great health benefits, versatility and low food miles, they will want to buy a British alternative for traditional olive oils.’’



In the nearby barn, staff are processing of 1,388 tonnes of seed which will yield 500,000 litres of oil, compared with 722 tonnes which produced 260,000 litres the previous year. According to the retail analysts Kantar, the cold-pressed rapeseed oil market is now worth £6.4m.

The Hillfarm Oils production line. Photograph: Graeme Robertson/Guardian

Chefs such as Raymond Blanc, James Martin, Oliver Rowe, Richard Corrigan and Tom Kerridge have all introduced rapeseed oil to a wider audience through their recipes. An early and enthusiastic ambassador of Hillfarm Oils’s products was the chef and restaurateur Mark Hix, who has even been experimenting with cooking the “greens” – the edible stems – of the plant.

“I’ve been a fan of rapeseed oil for a few years now,” he said. “I’ve never advocated it as an alternative to olive oil as it’s completely different in flavour and aroma and each have distinct uses. Like olive oil, though, rapeseed oil needs to be used with care as its unique flavour can overpower a dish or dressing.”

Tesco edible oils buyer Harry Gillespie said: “There is a growing awareness with shoppers that cold-pressed rapeseed is a healthier alternative to olive and other vegetable oils and that has helped boost demand in the last year.

“At the same time shoppers have also been tempted by keener prices as many UK producers have cut the cost of their products. Rapeseed oil is very versatile in cooking and can be used in stir fries, roasting or salad dressing and to replace butter in a flapjack, bread and cakes.”



Tesco reports that over the last year demand for rapeseed oil has grown by nearly 30% – driven by lower prices after an excellent harvest last year as well as clear health benefits. Tesco now stocks 10 different rapeseed oils produced around the UK.

Waitrose has noted a similar trend, with overall sales of rapeseed oils up 30% over the past year. It is currently promoting on special offer Leckford Estate rapeseed oil, made on its own estate. The online retailer Ocado reports even higher sales – up 73% year on year.

Meanwhile back at Hillfarm Oils, a package is being prepared for special delivery: a bottle of Hillfarm cold-pressed rapeseed oil, complete with a symbolic union jack screwtop lid. It will be sent to the prime minister, David Cameron, who appeared in his kitchen at the beginning of the election campaign with a container of Italian Filippo Berio olive oil. “I don’t think that sent out the right message,” Fairs said. “I’d like to see more help for British farmers and production of local food.”