Blodyn Aur, meaning Golden Flower, is the first Welsh rapeseed oil; Welsh grown; Welsh pressed and Welsh bottled. Blodyn Aur is the brainchild of farmers Llyr Jones, Bryn Jones and Medwyn Roberts, as well as Geraint Hughes, a former student of Bangor. The oil is pressed near Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr, near Corwen.
Rapeseed oil is lauded by chefs across Britain, with Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons using it heavily in its kitchen. There are many reasons as to why it’s so popular amongst chefs and cooks; rapeseed oil has about half the saturated fat found in olive oil and a particularly high flash point, meaning it can handle high temperatures without blazing. This makes it a very diverse oil, perfect for salad dressings, roasting potatoes or as a substitute for butter in dishes like apple crumble. I really can’t speak highly enough about the benefits of rapeseed oil, in particular this Welsh one. What could be better than swapping an imported Italian or Greek olive oil for a locally grown and pressed oil that is not only good for the country but for your health, too?