Extra-virgin oils from Harnett’s
Posted: 27 July '10 by Niall
Harnett's Oils
One of my favourite programmes on TV in the last couple of years was “The Urban Chef” in which Ollie Rowe opened his Konstam restaurant in London and attempted to source all of his ingredients from within the M25. One of the most difficult tasks was finding cooking oil. I’d never seen that many olive trees within the M25 so I thought he was stuck – but when Ollie found a rapeseed producer and a local pressing works it got me thinking – do we have something like that in Northern Ireland?
I’ve always been a devotee of Olive Oil, but Ollie certainly made a case for Rapeseed oil: rapeseed and hemp oil can be produced locally; and there are lots of health benefits.
It was almost by chance that I came across Harnett’s Oils, who more than fit the bill. A quick internet-search later and I was chatting to Jane..
- N: Who are Harnett’s Oils?
- J: Harnett’s Oils is a family-run business on the Waring Estate, a working arable farm. There are 4 of us: I produce the final product and selling, marketing the business; My father Michael is in charge of growing the crops and caring for the harvesting of the crop; My mother Ann manages the food safety element of the plant as well as the marketing of the products; and my brother William is creative director looking after the different aspects of the website and marketing literature.
- N: Where are you based?
- J: we live on the Waring Estate based in Waringstown which is between Lurgan and Banbridge in County Down. The oilseeds are grown here and on our out-farm in Lisnacree, Kilkeel in County Down.
- N: You can’t much more local than that.. What sort of oils do you produce?
- J: At the minute we produce Hemp Oil and Rapeseed Oil and we’re trialling dressings (hemp vinaigrette and a garlic dressing) and flavoured oils (hot chilli & garlic and orange & rosemary) in St. George’s Market over the Summer months.
- N: I read that you use “cold-pressing” to extract the oil.. What’s that?
- J: A cold-pressed oil is when an oilseed like Rape or Hemp is pressed together to crush the majority of oil out of the seed. About 90% of the seed’s oil is squeezed out like this, which is filtered to produce an “extra-virgin” oil. Industry uses heat and chemicals to “hot-press” so they can get the remaining 10% but this releases phosphates and unwanted saturates into the oil taking away all the goodness that would have been produced if cold-pressed. The majority of vegetable oils and palm oils use this method.
- N: Kelly and I are really concerned about GM crops. You don’t use any, do you?
- J: We don’t use GM crops – we’re against the idea and believe in promoting biodiversity and the local wildlife. Not only are we actively involved with the Farming, Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) but don’t use pesticides or insecticides on the crops. Over the last 30 years we are proud to say we have seen an increase in insects, birds and mammals on the Estate and proud to be working close beside them. In regards with Organic Status the farm has decided not to go down with this scheme however we do adhere to such principles encouraging wildlife and biodiversity. Harnett’s Oils is also a strong supporter of local produce and is proud to be a member of the Slow Food Movement which wholly believes in producing a product that is GOOD, CLEAN and FAIR.
- N: That all sounds good to me! So, the important question is where can our readers buy your products?
- J: Harnett’s Oils have a stand in St Georges every Saturday where you can talk to us direct. Over the summer we will be at a few shows which will be updated on the website. We do sell from the website and it is possible to buy from the farm itself. We are trying to stock our products across the country in delis, butchers, farm shops and health shops. We also produce oils for trade and sell into restaurants and other food-based businesses – everything from 3 litres up to 20 litres.
- N: Lastly, what are your big hopes for the future?
- J: We’d like more people to know about and use our oils! They’re a quality product and compliment good food and good cooking, and have a really worthwhile ethic behind them: supporting the local countryside. On top of that we’re a local business. So, by buying our oils, everyone wins!
Thanks Jane!
We’re making Tuna seared using Harnett’s rapeseed oil and a hemp-oil pesto tonight.. Make sure you check the site later this week to see how we got on!
Other information
Hemp Oil has lots of health benefits including Omega 3, 6 and 9 and vitamins C, E, B1, B2 and carotene. It’s smoking point is too low to be used in cooking, but it’s nutty flavour makes it perfect for salad dressings and the like.
Rapeseed Oil (also known as “Canola Oil” which you’ll see in American recipes) is a good alternative to Olive Oil and can be used in cooking or as a dressing, having little taste. It has Omega 3, 6 and 9, vitamins E and K, and is low in cholesterol.
Harnett’s Oils
Waring Estate,
15 Banbridge Road,
Waringstown,
County Down
BT66 7QA
T: 028 38 881210
E: info@harnettoils.com
W: www.harnettoils.co.uk
You can also find Harnett’s Oils on Google Maps.
Rapeseed and Hemp oil from Harnett's Oils
Tags: food heroes, harnetts oils, Local Food Heroes, local producers
Categories: Local Food Heroes
