GROWERS heard how their grain was used to make flour at a ‘Meet the Processor’ event, organised by the Home Grown Cereals Authority last week.

Bell Mills in Driffield produces almost three per cent of the country’s flour and handles 3,000 tonnes of wheat weekly, explained joint managing director, Stuart Bradshaw.

The company prefers to deal direct with individual producers, wherever possible, to get a clear message across about the type of grain required. Bell Mills, owned by EB Bradshaw and Sons, also sells seed and offers buy-back contracts on certain wheat varieties.

Mr Bradshaw said: “The number of mills around the country has been falling in recent years, but the decline has levelled out and there are now just over 50 operating in the UK.

“There is a lot of pressure on our type of business, partly because of the mixed messages being sent out about the nutritional content of bread. Consumers are periodically given advice on daily recommended amounts, sugar and salt content levels and whether brown or white loaves are healthier.

This has an effect on their purchasing decisions.

“The debate over provenance of ingredients and the confusion over genetic modification have also created uncertainty.

In addition, we have to operate under many strict rules and regulations, with some flour mills subject to environmental laws which were originally intended for heavy industry, so compliance can be costly.”

He said growers can help the mill to meet customer requirements, by choosing the wheat varieties with the best bread and biscuit-making qualities.

“Blending wheats to create flours for different functions takes skill and is not formulaic.

Food manufacturers today are highly mechanised, so the most important factor is consistency.

“Variety is the key to producing high-quality flours. One favourite is Claire, it has been around for a long time and we know it works well. Other stalwarts include Solstice, Gallant and Crusoe, while Invicta and Scout are two outstanding biscuit wheats. We are also excited about the new variety, Skyfall, which has exhibited some excellent bread-making characteristics.

It will be commercially available for sowing this autumn.”

Another way in which growers can secure a milling premium for their crops is by separating varieties for handling and storage, he said. Bell Mills has almost 100 wheat bins for the storage of grains for making up blends, some of which can contain up to 20 different grades.