Stop and smell the fl our 15/ time out


This award-winning independent mill has a trade secret: gently does it for best results And what is the secret of Bacheldre


Is bread-making therapeutic? ‘Absolutely,’ says Matt Scott of Bacheldre Mill. ‘Just the smell makes people smile. And there’s the fact that it feels like something that was in danger of being lost, so there’s an element of nostalgia involved too.’ Ostentatiously time-consuming and


mysteriously satisfying, bread-making – like gardening, brewing and pregnancy – is an activity that is quite impossible to accelerate. It’s for that reason that it is so addictive. So, are you starting to feel like a hamster on a wheel in a cage with free Wi-Fi and a 24-hour newsfeed? Replace that speed with a gentle knead and you may just feel a whole lot better. The destiny of Bacheldre Mill and the


great British bread-making and baking revival have been entwined from the start. Matt and his wife Ann, who had formerly worked for the Post Offi ce, bought the mill, cottage and land in 2002 with the intention of running it as a camping and holiday business. But it soon


became apparent that few tourists visited the Welsh Marches in the winter months, and the Scotts had to revisit their business plan. ‘The mill’s machinery (some of which dates


back to the 19th century) was in full working order, but the previous owner had used low-grade grain and none of the local bakers had wanted the fl our. We realised there was a gap in the market for a premium stoneground product, so we sourced some organic grain and began to mill our own.’ Having wooed local businesses, Matt took


his fl our up to London in a holdall and pitched to buyers at Harrods and Harvey Nichols. His method worked and 10 years on, Bacheldre Mill sells fl our to Ocado. On top of this, to Matt’ s evident delight


and pride, in June this year the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall personally requested a tour, arriving at the mill by helicopter (Camilla’s favourite fl our is apparently the Organic Stoneground Strong Malted 5 Seed).


Mill? It’s all in the slow stone-grinding, which allows the fl our to retain the natural fl avours of the wheatgerm, and the sourcing of ‘strong’ grain varieties such as Paragon, which contains 15.5 per cent protein. The result is a series of organic, non-


organic and British fl ours that just cry out to be made into the sort of delicious, nutritious loaf that sliced bread almost killed off . Can’t resist your inner hamster? Invest in a bread maker and, with the help of Bacheldre’s special breadmaker mixes, you can wake up to the aroma of a freshly baked loaf… in your own time. bacheldremill.co.uk


What makes Matt smile? ‘My children, Callum, 12, Freya, 8, and Finley, 11 months. And the feedback we get from our customers on Facebook and Twitter. When people have taken the time to make bread, it’s lovely when they are proud and pleased with the results.’


PHOTOGRAPHY: JUDE EDGINTON


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