Why we love... YARE VALLEY OILS
We’re determined to keep shouting about the incredible local suppliers who we are so proud to be able to support and stock. This week we caught up with YARE VALLEY who create delicious oils, dressings and also (with their mindful ethos for the environment) some absolutely adorable lip balms…
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself?
We are a field to bottle producer of award winning Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil and are based in Surlingham, a few miles outside of Norwich on the Norfolk Broads. The Oil that we produce from seed to bottle here on the farm is used as the foundation for everything that we create here, like our range of Oil Infusions, Dressings, Sauces and All Natural Lip Balms.
2. What made you set up Yare Valley?
The Mack family has been producing crops from the fertile soil of the Yare Valley for over 100 years and the farm is now run by father and son team Tim and Will. They had been growing oilseed rape for some time but decided to start pressing the seeds and bottling the oil themselves once they understood more about the versatility and health benefits of the Oil. The Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil has 50% less saturated fat than Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as well as containing beneficial omegas. It is made by pressing the seed using a mechanical screw, resulting in a very pure oil which is delicate enough for dipping, dressing and finishing dishes and, with a high smoke point of around 240°C, robust enough for frying, roasting and baking.
3. Who is part of your team?
The team is made up of:
Glenn, the General Manager of Yare Valley Oils, who has been with the company since its very early days. Back then he would spend every single weekend of the year at Farmers Markets/Events/Shows talking to people about the Oil. Since then, he has developed every product in the range that we have today!
Lily is Sales and Marketing Assistant at Yare Valley Oils, she has come from a background in hospitality and spends all of her free time thinking about and eating food!
Sarah works in production at Yare Valley Oils and works tirelessly to ensure every bottle and jar is as delicious as the last!
4. Where do your source your ingredients?
The Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil that we produce here is grown from seed to bottle on our farm and, as far as possible, we source the other ingredients that go into our products as locally as we can. For example, the honey that we use in our Honey & Mustard Dressing and in our All Natural Honey & Lime Lip Balm is sourced from Norfolk and the vinegar used in our dressings is from Aspalls based in Suffolk.
5. How has the current pandemic affected you and what are your plans for the future? Have you learnt anything along the way which actually has been positive!
The pandemic has affected us, but we have seen some positives too. With the closure of restaurants, cafes and other eateries we had a sudden drop in all catering wholesale trade, as well as seeing the cancellation of all of the events and shows for the rest of year. However, we have been really inspired by the determined local businesses like The Garnet who have innovated and adapted in order to move forward. We feel that there is a huge sense of community in Norfolk and have seen the way in which local businesses have supported each other to help each other survive. The people of Norfolk have really got behind small businesses during the pandemic – long may it continue!
6. What's the best thing about the area you live in?
We couldn’t not mention the absolute beauty of Norfolk when answering this question – we are all very lucky to have beautiful green countryside, breath-taking coastal areas as well as the wonderful towns, villages and the city of Norwich on our doorstep. As well as that, one of the best things about living where we do is the people who surround us and the sense of community that we have, especially within the food scene in Norfolk.