The Palmer Family

Breckenholme Trading Company, North Breckenholme Farm, North Yorkshire

Adam Palmer took over the farm aged 19 after the passing of his grandfather. Realising the value of OSR as a culinary oil, Adam took advantage of the opportunity to control the route to market and add value to the crop the family already grew and in 2007 launched Breckenholme Trading Company. Adam and his wife Jennie focus on product development and marketing, Adam’s parents Ben (who was previously a ship’s captain) and Esther manage the presses and direct sales, Jennie’s mum writes recipes and has published a cookery book, while her father Paul is the brand’s designer. The farm has two consumer brands Yorkshire Rapeseed Oil and Charlie and Ivy’s, named after Adam’s children. The oil is used in Michelin-starred kitchens and forms the base for his flavoured oils, dressings and Yorkshire mayonnaise.

Provenance

BTC presses oilseed rape, grown in the Yorkshire area and markets the oil through its brands. Now, in its tenth year, he presses 10 times the amount of seed as when he started. He works alongside other artisan producers and, where possible, uses local ingredients. Their latest product is a Fava Hummus, which Adam believes is a first to the market, made from British grown field beans and his rapeseed oil. The business also buys a lot of the rapeseed grown by his neighbours and they do not waste any product and sells into the cattle feed market. The family are also working with seed breeders to trial growing and crushing new and exciting varieties of rapeseed. Looking ahead, they plan to convert sheds to develop a test kitchen and education centre to engage inner city children with where their food comes from.