It all started with a small red hand mill, a few walnuts and a lot of curiosity. But it didn't stop at cranking by hand for long: after the first tests, Michael quickly fitted a cordless screwdriver as the drive - "to make it easier to do by hand", as he says with a grin. Hardly any other detail of the grinder was left untouched. For him, technical improvements were part of the process right from the start.
Today, Carmen and Michael run an oil mill specialising in walnuts in the heart of Münsterland. Their walnut manufactory offers people the opportunity to bring their own walnuts and have their own personalised oil pressed from them. Appointments can be arranged for as little as three kilograms of walnut kernels, either with a look behind the scenes during the pressing process or to collect the finished oil later.
Michael, who acquired the necessary knowledge himself with a great deal of patience and tinkering, calls himself a "learning-by-doing oil miller". And Carmen? As the "walnut fairy", she is the soul of the manufactory. She creates an atmosphere, guides the guests and allows them to experience the walnut with all their senses.
The demand for regionally pressed walnut oil and other products made from the local walnut is growing continuously, not least due to a growing awareness of sustainability, healthy eating and artisan foods. However, although interest is growing, many people still don't realise what a valuable treasure they have right in their own garden or on their parents' property. This is exactly where Carmen Irmen comes in: She is passionate about giving walnuts back their rightful place as a valuable natural product. With her work, she wants to contribute to ensuring that the knowledge, traditions and appreciation of walnuts are not lost, but are experienced anew and passed on.
