Taste of Kent

Fine Food with

Charles Campion

Food writer and critic

• It’s time to go left field rather than safety-first
• “Fashion or for keeps?”
• “New year and new possibilities”
• “What is in a name?”
• “The art of shopping”

Kentish country estate Quex Park began producing rapeseed oil for the fine food sector four years ago – and it hasn't looked back since. Angie Curwen, managing director of Quex Foods, tells us more about it.

The growth of cold-pressed rapeseed oil in cooking has become a major British food success story over the past few years. Sales are gaining on olive oil quickly as consumers look for something healthier, locally-produced and as flavourful as the Mediterranean staple. One of the most respected producers of rapeseed oil is Quex Foods, based in Kent, which makes oil on-site for the UK market and beyond.

The company is part of the Quex Park Estate – a 250 acre area of parkland and gardens. It was formed four years ago to create more money for the grounds. “As with many traditional country estates, the profitability of farming alone became unable to provide for the upkeep of Quex Park and as a result the estate diversified in a number of ways,” says Angie Curwen, managing director of Quex Foods. “The food side of the business is one of the diversifications close to the heart of Anthony, managing director of The Quex Park Estates Co. Ltd. As he’s very passionate about agriculture. It was his idea to add value to the raw materials grown on the farm.

“The first project was to set up a unit where the special variety of rapeseed grown on the farm could be pressed and bottled on-site, before being sold directly to local farm shops, delis and health food stores. This made the route from field to kitchen much more direct and with much greater provenance.” Before long, Kentish Oils started appearing on deli shelves across the UK and became a highly regarded brand.

Secrets to success

The number of cold-pressed rapeseed oil producers has bloomed over the past decade, with many foodie entrepreneurs predicting the demand and potential it would have. But Angie believes the quality of the rape grown at Quex Park is what sets its oil apart from the rest. “The variety of rapeseed grown and pressed makes a great deal of difference to the final product. Anthony also believes that the mineral content of the excellent grade 1 agricultural soil in East Kent is taken up into our plants and enhances the flavour.

“Sheila and Terry are the next secret ingredient in our oils,” adds Angie. “They operate the press, filter and bottling machines and take great pride and care over every single bottle.” This is highlighted in the on-site building where the oil is made – a small converted barn in the middle of the rape fields, containing a seed press, a filtration machine and a hand-operated bottling machine, all looked over and maintained by Sheila and Terry. Oil production conjures up images of huge machines and automated conveyor belts – it’s surprising to find out that fields upon fields worth of rapeseed can be turned into thousands of bottles of oil in a small barn by two people.

The range

Apart from the original rapeseed oil, the company produces three other flavoured varieties – Garlic & Herb, Jalapeno Chilli and Lemon. These add to the versatility of the natural characteristics of rapeseed oil; it’s already good for roasting and frying because of its high burning point, and good for drizzling thanks to its nutty, grassy flavour, but the blended varieties can add even more to a dish. “The rapeseed oil blended with jalapeno chilli works wonderfully in stir fries and excellent as a chilli flavouring in any recipe,” says Angie. “The rapeseed oil blended with lemon is beautiful in salad dressings, as a marinade for basting and for cooking fish and chicken, while the oil blended with garlic and herb is stunning for roasting potatoes, stir fries, as a base for marinades and anything that you wish to flavour with garlic and herbs.”

Being based in Kent meant the majority of sales originally came from the local area, but Quex Foods has already started to branch out into the rest of the UK. The company also now produces its own line of crisps – Kent Crisps – which are gaining equal footing in fine food shops nationwide. “As with any locally produced food, the initial market is naturally on your doorstep, but with Kentish Oils now in its fourth year of production and sales continuing to grow month-on-month there has been nationwide growth helped by our distributors, direct sales and online sales,” Angie explains.

Oil online

One of the main ways the company has been spreading the word about Kentish Oils and cooking with rapeseed oil in general is through the internet. “Social media, predominantly Twitter and Facebook, has proved a fantastic platform for promoting and raising awareness of Kentish Oil to consumers across the country,” says Angie. “People are able to share ideas on how they use our rapeseed oil, swap recipe suggestions and communicate about where they can buy it, which in turn helps support our retailers. It is great for getting endorsements from professional chefs and consumers alike.”