Flour Mill Installation in Bradford
Installation & Maintenance of High Performance Flour Mills, Bradford
UK Flour Millers [formerly Nabim before a recent rebrand], has looked after the interests of flour millers in the UK for almost 150 years. The association felt that it was a good time for the rebrand due to a number of factors. One of these is the aftermath of the Covid 19 virus and its effect on the industry. During the various lockdowns, there was a boom in home baking, and as you probably remember flour was almost impossible to get hold of. Nabim informed people that it was not because there was a shortage of flour, but more about packaging difficulties. They also assisted by creating an online map, helping people to find local, available flour.
If the virus has taught us anything it’s that the goalposts can change at any time and service providers will have to remain on alert. This is particularly relevant as food is linked to social behaviour. Director of UK Flour Millers, Alex Waugh said: “After 142 years the decision to rebrand as UK Flour Millers has not been taken lightly, but as an acknowledgement of changing times and perceptions,”
Professional & Reliable, Preferred Contractors for the Industry
He went on to say: “We did a survey of what people think about the flour milling industry and Nabim, and found that most people [outside of the baking industry] didn’t know the flour milling industry existed. And, when asked what their image of flour milling was, it was a bit old fashioned.” Waugh added: “This Isn’t an accurate reflection of the industry which has high tech modern facilities to help ‘blend art and science’ to achieve the high quality end products bakers and others want. “Flour milling is an ancient art, but our members invest over 15% of their gross margin every year in infrastructure, research and recruiting the next generation of millers. They quite rightly demand an association that is professional, reliable, important, modern and efficient.”
Flour millers have been well placed to respond to recent changes and are also working to keep their costs down. As demands in various sectors fluctuate, millers are able to go with the flow. They can handle several hundred varying grades and types of flour for specific clients, another area that will see a number of changes.
Adapting to New Changes & Challenges in Flour Milling, Bradford
Another significant aspect that can affect and challenge the status quo within many industries, is Brexit. A lack of decision making has left many unanswered questions according to Waugh. He said: “It’s less of an issue where there is trade just within Great Britain. It’s more challenging for businesses, and there’s actually quite a lot of them, in trade between GB and Northern Ireland or indeed exports to the wider European Union.”
Issues range from straight forward paperwork or labelling problems to costs and delays for customers. Another spanner in the works was last year’s low wheat yield, described as the smallest in years, the UK had to rely more on imported wheat. Normally the UK is self sufficient when it comes to flour, and supplies Northern Ireland too, but this was a wake up call. Uncertainty about Brexit has also lead many importers [including flour millers] to build up stocks of imported materials like flour.
Leading Manufacturers in Flour Processing & Production, Bradford
Over 5 million tons of flour is produced each year in the UK, and most of the flour milling businesses are members of UK Flour Millers. Other member companies include grain merchants, plant breeders, pest control companies, packaging manufacturers and engineers linked with the industry. Members also include the Flour Advisory Bureau which was launched in 1956. Part of their role is to assist consumers about aspects of domestic flour use. Despite changing the association name to ‘UK Flour Millers’, the role of the trade body will remain the same. As with many things, adaptability is the key, as Waugh added: “We are adapting to the changing political landscape that comes with Brexit”.
As you can see, fast and efficient production of flour has never been more crucial, and a tailored result is always required. When it comes to the installation of flour mills, you won’t find a better choice than specialists Brookshaw Stuart. We cater to a wide customer base across the sector, providing high quality, reliable installation of flour mills for leading manufacturers.