Our Aim
Ireland has a long, though not celebrated, history of growing grain. With good soils, sound husbandry and varieties geared to our temperate climate, Ireland can grow world class grain.
Our aim is to continue to grow high quality milling grains and produce flour that matches and exceeds the quality of any comparable imported flour.
Our Mill In Piltown
All our flour is stone-milled at our newly built facility located in the “Old Creamery” building in the village of Piltown in south Co. Kilkenny close to Waterford City.
Piltown is home to Kildalton horticultural and agricultural college. It is also home to the Iverk Show, Ireland’s oldest annual agricultural fair.
We Focus On Quality
We use stone mills that preserve more nutrients and flavour in the flour. Our stone mills move more slowly than industrial roller mills and this helps to keep the flour cooler during the milling process.
The stone milling process grinds the whole grain berries together, incorporating the oils and bran from the grain into the flour. A stone mill produces a less refined flour than an industrial mill but stoneground flour has greater flavour and nutritional value.
Milled To Order For Freshness
We mill our flour largely to order so that it is fresh by the time it is delivered. The grain is milled, sieved and bagged on the same day and does not undergo any other process. This means that our flour is unbleached, unblended and without any additives whatsoever. Produced by us start to finish, our flour is a strong stoneground flour that works well in sourdough and yeast breads and can be used also in pizza dough, pastry, banana breads, etc.
Note: Spelt and einkorn flour are not gluten-free. However, both spelt and einkorn have types of gluten that are far easier to digest than modern wheat gluten.
What are ‘Ancient Grains’?
The term ‘ancient grain’ is used to describe grains that have remained essentially unchanged for millennia. These include the einkorn, emmer and spelt, some heirloom varieties of wheat, barley, rye and oats. Other ancient grains and seeds include amaranth, quinoa, millet, teff and sorghum. In contrast, corn, rice and wheat have been bred intensively to increase yield and to change certain characteristics in response to modern agri-business and food processing requirements. These modern cereals, and their taste, are very different to their ancestors.
What is Spelt?
Spelt is one of the oldest cultivated grains, originating over 5000 years ago in Southeastern Europe. Archeological evidence indicates that spelt was grown in Ireland in the iron-age, though less commonly than barley and oats. Spelt was in widespread use in Roman times. Today, the crop is known as Farro in Italy and as Dinkle in Germany. Spelt has lower yields and retains its hull after harvesting and must undergo an expensive dehulling process before it can be milled. With developments in agricultural science in the 19th and 20th centuries, spelt fell out of favour and was replaced by modern wheats which were bred for higher yields, ease in harvesting and ease of use in commercial baked goods.
Spelt Flour
Because Spelt retains its original traits and has some important advantages over wheat, it has enjoyed a resurgence of interest worldwide in recent years. Spelt gluten is more fragile and more water soluble than wheat gluten and is easier to digest, so the grain's vital substances can be absorbed quickly by the body with a minimum of digestive work. Spelt flour typically contains more protein than its wheat equivalent and is higher in complex carbohydrates, iron, potassium and the B Vitamins. And it has a lovely nutty flavour.
What is Einkorn?
Einkorn is the oldest wheat known to science, and is considered man’s first wheat. The term einkorn is derived from the German language and interpreted to mean “single grain”. It is one of a small group of plants first domesticated around the same time and known as founder crops. These crops spread across the western world at the time when humans were changing from nomadic hunting and gathering to building permanent settlements. Einkorn was grown by farmers across the ancient world, including Greece and Rome. The ancient Celts depended on einkorn as their first major grain. Like spelt, einkorn has enjoyed renewed interest in recent years but is expensive to produce. Its yields are low and it must be dehulled before it can be milled.
Einkorn Flour
Einkorn is higher in protein, phosphorous, vitamin B6 and potassium than modern forms of wheat. It also is higher in carotenoids, the natural red, yellow or orange pigments that are found in many vegetables and fruits, and in a few grains. Although einkorn contains gluten, it’s a different more fragile and lower volume gluten that is easier to digest than modern wheat gluten.