As 2024 draws to a close, I write firstly to thank you for your support and business over the last year. I am pleased to say that we’ve had a very busy year with trade continuing to grow, both with our home bakers (via mail order and through our shop) and our commercial bakers, particularly in Cambridgeshire.

Last week, we took delivery of 28 tonnes of 2024 harvest grain. I will be sharing more information about the grain and flours we will produce from it shortly, watch this space!

Last Orders before Christmas

The last date for mail orders to guarantee processing and delivery before Christmas is the 18th December. After this date, we cannot guarantee to get flour to you before we stop for Christmas. We will re-open the mail order service on the 2nd January 2025. Apologies in advance, we are currently very short of spelt grain, a delivery of 6 tonnes being held up this week and now not expected until the New Year!

Mill Shop Christmas Opening

The Mill Shop is open on the 19th December for the last time this year. We re-open on the 2nd January 2025.

Jon Cook, Miller

With the John Lewis Christmas advert well and truly launched and high streets up and down the country decked in Christmas lights, the Prior’s Flour Team are now in full swing packing our Christmas Boxes.

Bread Bakers Delight

For the discerning baker, why not buy them a selection of our finest bread flours along with a Traditional Cornmillers Guild Recipe Book all finished in a box, packed with straw and a personalised Christmas message! Send us the Christmas Message (text) you would like the recipient to receive in the box and we will include it before we dispatch it. Please remember to include your message and the date on which you would like the gift sending – add to the Order Notes field in the CHECKOUT SCREEN when you make your order. Please also ensure you provide the delivery address for your present!

Foodies Delight

For the Foodie in your life – buy them a delicious range of provisions – our delicious Breakfast Muesli, Oat produts and store cupboard staples – Organic Plain & Self Raising Flour, all finished in a box, packed with straw and a personalised Christmas Greeting. Please remember to include your message and the date on which you would like the gift sending – add to the Order Notes field in the CHECKOUT SCREEN when you make your order. Please also ensure you provide the delivery address for your present!

With the 2024 harvest now virtually complete, I write today to update you on the situation and what it will mean for bakers. Before we get into that, however, let me share something altogether more magical, a few images of Fosters Mill bathed in the Aurora Borealis display we experienced last week. It was a night I will never forget, something I have wanted to experience all my life!

Wheat & Grain Update 2024

The situation is best described as “challenging”!

Milling Wheat

The organic wheat harvest, and indeed, the conventional wheat harvest has been diabolical, both in terms of quantity and quality. Whilst there is some variation in different regions, overall, yields (the tonnage of wheat per acre) are some of the lowest for many years. This is further compounded by the fact that a much smaller acerage of land was sown in autumn / winter 2023 and spring 2024 due to the extreme wet weather which meant land in many parts of the country was unworkable. The growing conditions during 2024 for both winter-sown and spring-sown wheats were also unfavorable. All this has resulted in a situation where very few parcels of wheat (both organic and conventional) have made milling grade.

For bread making, we need protein levels >12%, ideally, over 13% (your current flour is 13.5%). We need bushel weights (a volumetric weight which indicates how filled the grains are with starch) of over 75kg. So far, I have seen not a single sample of UK grown 2024 harvest organic wheat over 12% protein (with most between 9 and 11%) and bushel weights are in the low 70s.

The net result of this is that we are most likely to try and source both UK grown and imported high protein wheat and create a blend to give you the baking qualities / properties and flavour you have come to expect from the Priors Flour. That will be the only likely way we can offer a quality product for you from the 2024 harvest. As of today, we are still milling the 2023 harvest grain and expect to transition to the 2024 harvest during December. Order your flour here!

Rye

I am pleased to say, the situation as regards rye is more promising! We have now taken delivery of an excellent parcel of rye grain grown near Boston in Lincolnshire. The berries are plump, the taste is excellent and the flour soft! We have worked to keep our prices down, so please crack-on and order – it is in production and you can order it here!

Spelt

Spelt has also been affected in a similar way to milling wheat. We are currently sourcing new crop, so I will update you once we have secured our supply for the coming 12 months. We do not anticipate a challenge getting suitable spelt grain, but again, yields are down and supply is limited – this is likely to impact price.

Heritage Wheat – Millers Choice

Again, the harvest was extremely poor and much of the crop grown by our key supplier was not suitable for milling. We do, however, expect to get enough grain to keep our Millers Choice customers baking over the coming 12 months!

I will keep you updated as we finalise our wheats and grains for 2024 – 2025.

Jon Cook.

We are very sorry to announce that Jane Bulleid (wife of the late Michael Bulleid), our predecesors here at Fosters Mill, passed away on the 13th July 2024. Jane met Michael after the death of his first wife, Gay Bulleid and with Michael (and Michael’s children Deborah and Oliver) continued the project to restore Fosters Mill, culminating in the mill grinding flour again in 1992. Without their hard word, incredible dedication and financial resources, the future of Fosters Mill would have been in doubt.

Jane was particularly active in promoting the mill and selling flour between 1992 and 1996, when Michael had to stop milling due to ill health. She continued to live in the area after Michael’s death in 1998 and was active in a number of societies and groups.

Our deepest sympathy goes to Jane’s sister, Deborah, Oliver and families and friends.