While other boys at the age of 16 devote themselves to sports or music or only have eyes for the girls, Paul Belthle pursues a different passion: oil pressing.

A mere pastime has grown into a small commercial enterprise in which his uncles, parents and grandparents lend a hand.

At the age of 16, Paul Belthle is probably the youngest oil miller in Germany - and therefore also successful, which is why he has appeared on television several times.

What is also unusual is that Paul founded the company near Beuron in the heart of the Upper Danube Nature Park at the age of twelve with the support of his parents.

He had never imagined that at his age he would already be running a business and supporting his family financially.

Back then, Paul wanted a Playstation for Christmas, but he didn't get it.

Instead, his parents gave him an oil press, also because as a child he was passionate about pressing apples and mashing sauerkraut.

Then Paul tried different combinations and found his passion for oil pressing.

Now his parents also work for "Die Ölfreunde", which is the name of his company;

because they lost their jobs as a result of the corona pandemic.

Before that, Jürgen and Yvonne Belthle ran a youth hostel and a canoe rental business.

During the pandemic, there were no customers, very different from the oil factory.

Rapeseed, black cumin and hemp

"We produce our oil from the basic seeds of rapeseed, black cumin and hemp," explains Paul.

“The oilseeds are poured into the press using a shovel.

Then the seed is crushed and the oil is pressed out of it.” By adding herbs and spices, Paul gives his oil a special taste component.

A “press cake” is a by-product of the extraction of edible oil.

This is mostly used as animal feed.

However, Paul only wanted to accept this as an intermediate step.

Since the oil is cold-pressed, the press cake is not heated.

Like the cooking oil, it has good ingredients that contain raw proteins, for example.

"For this reason we produce flour and proteins from this press cake." In addition, all the valuable ingredients such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids were almost completely preserved.

In the beginning, the products were marketed by word of mouth, primarily through his parents, says Paul.

The oil quickly became very popular at school. "Everyone bought from me enthusiastically." Paul now markets his oil in 500 shops throughout Germany from the Danube Valley to Helgoland, in Edeka and Rewe shops as well as on the Internet and in his farm shop .

The farm shop is on the Danube Cycle Path near Beuron and is one of his favorite places.

"He stands for everything I represent: rich, regional products," says Paul.

The whole family helps

In addition, everyone in this family business actively helps.

In the farm shop there are liqueurs and brandies from his father, fine mustard from his grandmother and grandfather and crushed flakes from his brother.

On the homepage, Paul shows possible uses of the various oils.

You can discover recipes for "sharp pizza" and for hemp flour spaetzle and gingerbread there.

A bottle usually contains 500 milliliters of oil, and a hemp oil bottle contains 350 milliliters.

The herbs, chili and garlic varieties cost 8 euros.

A bottle of black cumin oil (200 milliliters) costs 15 euros.

The turnover of the shop is around 2000 euros in a good week.

Online trading accounts for one eighth of total sales.

The main turnover is achieved in the supermarkets.

Sales last year were between 600,000 and 700,000 euros.

The oil mill runs around the clock.

"We produce 400 liters of oil a day," says Paul.

About 1000 bottles are filled every day.

All raw materials come from controlled cultivation by 30 farmers in the Beuron area.

Some suppliers grew certain oilseeds only for their operations.

His oil is not only organic, but also "made in the Ländle".

He deliberately does not have non-native oils from seeds from other and more distant countries, such as coconut and olive oil, in his range.

After school, an apprenticeship as a carpenter

There is no shortage of oil in Paul's company.

"As a company, we now produce almost 100,000 bottles of oil a year," says Paul.

The first oil press reached its capacity limits;

a second one is now in use.

Paul and his family also make more unusual varieties.

These include hemp oil, herbal oils, and hot chili oil.

Paul is the hallmark of the establishment.

The 16-year-old adorns the brand's logo with his Bogart hat.

But he also has to study for school.

Because the parents' announcement is: "The school must not suffer from the oil mill." In the Corona period, the online lessons fitted in perfectly.

In the morning Paul studied for school and in the afternoon he was in the farm shop.

After school he wants to do an apprenticeship as a carpenter.

He also plans to acquire and operate another oil mill.

The article comes from the student project "Youth and Business", which the FAZ organizes together with the Association of German Banks.