Rapeseed oil farm marks ten years

The family has been based at the farm for 49 years and has been producing Yorkshire’s Original Rapeseed Oil (Yors) for ten years. The rapeseed is grown, pressed, filtered, infused and bottled on site in Collingham.

Alec Shelbrooke MP said: “It was fantastic to see the team at Wharfe Valley Farms hard at work. Food production in Yorkshire makes a significant contribution to the national economy and it’s really good to see companies such as Tesco showcasing Yorkshire produce from my constituency.

“Witnessing the production of the oil right through to the bottling process was a great opportunity and hearing about the businesses growth plans for the next ten years is really good news for local employment.”

Mark Thomas, corporate affairs manager for the north of England at Tesco added: “Tesco is proud to be the only major retailer stocking the smoked and chilli infused oils made by Yors.

“We stock only the highest quality products for our consumers, and this rapeseed oil is outstanding. We’re so proud to stock Sallyann, Geoff and the team’s Wharfe Valley Farms’ products.”

Sallyann Kilby, co-owner at Wharfe Valley Farms, added: “It was a pleasure to host Alec and showcase some of our favourite products.

“We are so passionate about what we do and are proud to remain an independent Yorkshire business.

“Seeing our oils on the shelves of Tesco is just wonderful. We always believed we were making a fantastic product but getting the seal of approval from a national retailer really confirmed that we are on the right track.”

Rapeseed oil has less than half the saturated fat and 10 times the Omega 3 content of olive oil, while the high smoke point of 230c makes it ideal for roasting as well as stir frying.

The Yors rapeseed oils are grown in Collingham using traditional methods of swathing, a chemical free method of harvesting.

The business has grown over the years from a table top press to an operation producing over 1000 litres of oil per day.