So where should one start if new to this wonderful oil?. Firstly there are many different brands of virgin coconut oil available in the UK, mainly cold pressed, expeller pressed or worse copra.  Essence of Eden  however endorse two, with the later better suited to cosmetics and soap. Our top grade oil is a Centrifuged Coconut Oil, which tastes like cream, with a smooth texture and light fresh coconut aroma. The Centrifuged method is relatively rare being so expensive to produce as the yield per harvest is far less than a cold pressed oil. However, we also stock a very good quality Cold Pressed coconut oil in order to suit all pockets. Both grades are Organic.
The main difference between the two is the Flavor,  the Aroma and Texture. Also the lauric acid content. Cold pressed oils typically ranges from 42-50% and Centrifuged  oils between 50-54%.. The other difference is in the production process itself. Centrifuged oil is first shredded then spun and the very top oil is siphoned off.  This is our Premium Grade oil.  As Centrifuged coconut oil  produces smaller yields per harvest the farmer demands more re-numeration and rightly so, if we are to encourage him to maintain this form of process.
When we first started in 2004 there were only three of four suppliers of coconut oil in the UK. This prompted our search for the very best oil around the globe as what was available was sorely lacking. Part of our journey was to offer an oil Certified by the Soil Association and the Vegetarian Society. Why? Customer confidence and satisfaction were paramount and both these bodies have stringent controls to ensure quality of supply. This applies not only to the processing plant but the Farm itself, the Process, the Exporter and Importer all inspected and certified plus we are licensed by Defra so you really know you are getting ORGANIC!!
We are also part of the Food For Life Catering Scheme and have recently been selected as a finalist in the Quality Food Awards. We often get asked about Fair Trade. We appreciate that it is necessary for such a standard to exist, but strongly feel that even the fair trade price leaves room for improvement and therefore pay our farmers beyond this levy to maintain sustainability.  After all, our yearly subscription could either go direct to the farmer or pay the annual fee.  Our farmers agree. At some future point we may add Fair Trade to our portfolio but for now we are certainly Traded Fairly. Why do we present our oil to you in glass jars? To enable you to see the quality of our product and that it has no gray/yellow patches of mold which you would not be able to detect if plastic tubs were used.  Many have since followed suit. Another main difference is our 100% Guarantee of product satisfaction. So please enjoy, being assured that you have the best quality oil available.