From Seed to Bottle: A Day With Our Growers
June 4, 2026
There’s something special about bringing people back to the place where it all begins. We welcomed our LEAF Marque rapeseed growers to the farm for our annual Grower’s Day, a chance to step away from the fields, come together, and see exactly what happens to the seed they work so hard to grow.
What started with seed from our own family farm has grown into partnerships with four brilliant farmers across the north, west and south of our factory. Working with multiple growers means we can keep a steady supply of seed coming in, but it also spreads the risk of crop failures, a reality every farmer knows all too well. These relationships are the backbone of Mellow Yellow, and days like this remind us just how important they are.
Digging into the details (literally)
Out in the field – our home turf – the conversation flowed effortlessly. We talked about everything from soil health, regenerative farming, reducing nitrogen fertiliser, experimenting with cover and companion crops. Even composts and compost teas…! When you get passionate growers together, the ideas come thick and fast. It’s inspiring to see how much innovation is happening at farm level, all with the shared goal of growing better, more sustainable crops.
What Happens Once the Seed Arrives
One of the highlights of the day was showing our growers the journey their seed takes once it reaches us. Every batch goes through more than 30 quality tests before it earns the Mellow Yellow seal of approval. Farming practices influence flavour more than many people realise, so we love demonstrating how the tiniest differences in seed quality can shape the final taste of our cold‑pressed oil.
We walked them through the factory — seed in at one end, bottles of golden oil and dressings out the other. And of course, no visit is complete without an oil tasting. One farmer even got to try oil pressed from his own seed, still warm from the press. A proud moment for him, and for us too. It’s a reminder of how simple, natural and transparent our process really is.
Something delicious to take home
Before heading off, each grower took home a bag of Mellow Yellow oils and dressings to enjoy, and one even took bottles for their farm shop, made entirely from seed grown on their own land. That’s the beauty of what we do: provenance you can trace right back to the field.
It was a fantastic day with fantastic people. We never tire of talking about what we do, but it’s the growers, the people who nurture every seed, who make Mellow Yellow what it is. Here’s to more inspiring conversations about growing, farming, flavour and the journey from seed to bottle
