Rapeseed oil producer invests in bees in sustainability project

Broighter Gold, the award winning Northern Irish rapeseed oil processor, is investing in a number of initiatives, including beekeeping, to ensure the long-term sustainability of the farm based business.

The move into beekeeping reflects the longstanding commitment of Broighter Gold to the sustainability of the family-owned farm, based near Limavady in county Derry, and the wider environment.

Leona Kane, managing director of Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oils, commenting on the decision to invest in keeping bees, says:

"We began working with bees last year as part of our focus on supporting the local environment. I'd certainly be interested in developing artisan honey at some stage. It's early days in the project, but I am really enjoying seeing the different stages that they bring.

"Raising bees contributes hugely to the work of the farm and especially in growing crops such as oilseed rape for our successful rapeseed oil. I am also an ambassador for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and as such I support initiatives such as "Bee Connect" to protect honey bees which play such a crucial role in crop pollination," she adds.

Broighter Gold has a successful track record in the development of culinary oils from rapeseed grown on the farm owned by husband and wife team Richard and Leona Kane. They grow rapeseed on 180 of the farm's 800 acres.

Broighter Gold's range of original Liquid Gold and flavour infused rapeseed oils such as Basil, Chilli, Rosemary and Garlic, Lemon, Thai, and Black Truffle are used by leading chefs in both Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and recently launched with Buckley and Beale in the UK. They are also available from retailers in both parts of Ireland and also in France.

The successful farm diversification company has been cold-pressing and bottling rapeseed oil for six years, building success on the increasing demand for healthier alternatives to mainstream cooking oils.

Broighter Gold has won a string of UK Great Taste and Blas na hEireann food awards over the past three years. The product was also won the Flavours of the Neighbourhood, a UK competition launched by the Hotel Indigo Group, part of the global Intercontinental Hotel Group chain, to find the best artisan food product.

In addition to the development of rapeseed oil, the company has expanded into industrial tourism by developing an exhibition centre through the international EconoMusee network that enables visitors to see how the oil is produced and used in cooking.