Food lovers are snapping up the delicious dressings Jane Harnett is producing in Waringstown
By Stephanie Bell
Source: belfasttelegraph.co.uk
Modern twist: from left, Jane Harnett (left), with dad
Michael, mum Ann and brother William, is farming
land that has been in her family since 1600
It was while trying to heat their grand old historic mansion house that Jane Harnett's dad decided to buy the oil press which came to be the central cog in launching a unique family business.
Harnett's Oils, based in Waringstown and run by Jane (31), with the help of her family, is Ireland's only producer of hemp oil and recently celebrated the sale of its one millionth bottle.
Their 250-acre family farm is also the only one on the island of Ireland able to grow and market its own range of oilseeds which it has been producing commercially since 2007.
Jane's customers come from across Ireland and as far away as America, France and Spain, thanks to the company's online shop.
Her products have just been crowned Best Pure Rapeseed Oil in Ireland at the National Irish Food Awards and she also recently enjoyed the distinction of being chosen as part of a select range of local artisan food companies invited to showcase their products at the House of Commons.
She grows, cold-presses, filters, bottles and markets the oilseeds at home on the farm with the help of her brother William (30), and her parents Ann and Michael.
Oilseeds are cold-pressed to produce virgin oil and then filtered, producing extra-virgin oil, which is either bottled direct or flavoured to produce a range of dressings.
Jane started the business in 2007, after studying for a BSc in Rural Resource Management and a Masters in Rural Environmental and Land Management.
Although she has worked on other farm projects over the years, it is the oil production that has given her the most satisfaction.
"It's been a long, slow process and a lot of trial and error working to perfect the oil but we are thrilled to have recently picked up Gold at the All-Ireland Food Awards, which was a blind tasting, and it's also pretty amazing to have just sold our one millionth bottle."
The farm has been in the family since 1656 and theirs is one of the most famous in Co Down, having been established by Jane's 11th great-grandfather William Waring, who founded the village of Waringstown.
Waring House, where they live, is a distinctive landmark mansion house in the middle of the village and it is here where Jane has carried on the rich tradition of her ancestors by further developing the family farm and bringing it into the 21st Century.
Jane's ancestors have lived in the house – which even features on the badge of the local cricket club – since it was completed in 1667 by William Waring.
A three-storey gentleman's house, it is the oldest unfortified mansion house in Ireland.
Jane's dad is the nephew of Margaret Parr, Holt Waring's young widow who became the well-known Mrs Waring. She received a CBE and also served as an MP and a Justice of the Peace until her death in 1968.
It is common knowledge in the village that on his way to the Battle of the Boyne General Marshal Schomberg (1615–1690) and a detachment of troops stayed in the house and their horses were watered at the nearby Planters Tavern.
While it is just home to Jane, she does value its rich history.
"My brother and I were very privileged to grow up on this old estate," she says. "The house does look very big from the front but there isn't much depth to it.
"It doesn't have the fancy ceilings of grand old historic mansions because it's too old. We have eight rooms downstairs and 10 bedrooms. It keeps mum very busy and, like any old house, it always seems to need repairing or fixing. That's one of the reasons why I went down the oil route.
"Dad bought the oil press to try and produce a biodegradable lubricant. He wanted to run engines off crops and was also working on a combined heat and power plant to try and generate biofuel and electricity to power and heat the house and farm business which is why he bought the press.
"He wanted to use our crops to heat our house and because he had the press I was able to use it for the oils. No one else had one. It was the first in Ireland."
It was her dad Michael's approach to working the family land that inspired Jane to look into growing rapeseed and hemp when she graduated from university.
Her dad was always trying to grow something different and she wanted to follow in his footsteps.
"I had read about hemp in the newspapers and in 2000 we planted our first crop and it grew really well.
"We got the Department of Agriculture's research branch to look at it for us and they found we had a better oil content compared to anywhere else in the rest of the UK. We have better daylight here, which the crops need, and very good ground.
"We had this exciting new crop but we didn't know what to do with it so we went to Loughrey Agricultural College and asked them.
"We got a grant in 2006 which allowed us to start our business.
"There was a lot to learn from what seed was best, the right moisture, and in those early days during filtering a lot of the oil ended up on the ceiling.
"We just were trying to figure it out and do it right and now we can stand over that resilience with our great quality products."
According to dad Michael, a combination of climate, location, pure air, great soil and, of course, expertise all work together to make Northern Ireland the 'Champagne' area for oilseeds in Europe.
Hemp growing takes place on farms in the Mournes while the oilseed rape field is on the Waring Estate and is alive with wildlife. Jane first took her rapeseed and hemp oils to St George's Market in Belfast in January 2008 where she has been a regular every Saturday since.
She also supplies restaurants in the Republic and sells her products in local farm shops and online. Coming from such a long history of family farming meant that Jane couldn't sit back and rest on her laurels. She has worked hard to create and ensure that the Harnett's brand has visibility through her website and promoting it at food shows and craft fairs across the island of Ireland.
"We are best known for our rapeseed and hemp oils and this is what our restaurant clients, as well as the general public, regularly buy from us," she says.
"We have also diversified our core product range to include vinaigrettes and flavour-infused oils, and we have seen a spike in sales, particularly in St George's Market."
In all of these endeavours Jane says she very much values the support from her brother and her parents.
"I feel it is our strong family network that has made producing and marketing the oil so successful," she says.
"We started small and obtained customers through trade shows, word of mouth and local promotion; however, as consumers are now becoming more educated about the health benefits of pure oil, and in particular hemp and rapeseed, we have been able to tap into this emerging market.
"Also, due to the size of our press, we are attracting attention from major supermarkets that need large volumes produced."
She has grown her range to include four main flavoured oils and three vinaigrettes, as well as dressings. Depending on what is growing wild at the time she spends hours on the family land picking blackberries and other seasonal fruits for her dressings.
"Infusing the oils with different flavours helps make it easier for people to use it in their cooking, I do it all myself.
"The oil is produced in an agricultural shed on the farm and then I have a room upstairs where I bottle it and work on the flavours.
"The crops are harvested in August and rapeseed can be dried and stored until we need it as the oil stays in the seed."
She adds: "We have garlic and chilli oil, lemon and thyme and rosemary and orange and for the vinaigrettes I have been making blackberry flavour because there were so many of them this year and today I am going to look for sloes.
"It depends what's about and what's in season. There are lots of redcurrants and blackcurrants on the farm this year and I've been picking those as well."
The future is bright for this young farmer as she develops her plans to increase market share for the oils, as well as diversifying into new lines of production.
Rapeseed oil is great for cooking, but it can also be used in yogurts and even in your beauty regime.
Local soap makers have also been using Jane's oils as they make great moisturisers due to their many omegas and vitamins.
Dad Michael is naturally proud that she is working hard to maintain the tradition started centuries ago by William Waring.
"It's interesting when you look into the history," he says.
"We've had the land here from 1600 and back then when they started to grow flax for linen they faced the same problems and ways of developing industry that are still relevant today.
"We've been growing linseed since that date and reading the history it is exactly reflected in our oil trade now – you learn to develop the quality of your product, then it takes people to get used to it and then it goes with a bang and technology improves and it's the same circle all over again."
- For details on Harnett's Oils and the range of products, visit www.harnettoils.co.uk
Natural goodness that makes oils the healthy option
- Rapeseed oil is fast becoming the healthy option for cooking in local kitchens with sales up by 11.5% last year and 60% at Tesco, the country's biggest supermarket
- The advantage of rapeseed oil is that it has just 6% saturated fat content, less than half that of most olive oils
- It also has higher levels of important fatty acids – Omega 3, 6 and 9 – than any other vegetable oil. The Omega 3 content is good for blood circulation and young brains, while Omega 6 promotes healthy skin, nails and hair
- The oil has a much higher burning point than other types, which means it retains its health benefits when used for roasting and frying
- The taste benefits are also being recognised for the first time with chefs like Jamie Oliver supporting rapeseed oil
- Hemp seed oil has been dubbed "nature's most perfectly balanced oil", due to the fact it contains the perfectly balanced 3:1 ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 essential fatty acids, determined to be the optimum requirement for long-term healthy human nutrition
- The oil contained in the hemp seed is 75-80% polyunsaturated fatty acids (the good fats) and only 9-11% of the lesser desired saturated fatty acids
- Hemp seed oil is reputed to be the most unsaturated oil derived from the plant kingdom
- The essential fatty acids (EFAs) contained in the oil are required in our diet more than any other vitamin, yet our bodies do not naturally produce them
- Hemp seed oil also provides an adequate supply of antioxidants (Vitamin E), carotene (precursor to Vitamin A), phytosterols, phospholipids and a number of minerals including calcium, magnesium, sulphur, potassium, phosphorus, along with modest amounts of iron and zinc
- Hemp seed also has a flavourful nutty taste which is perfect for cooking
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