Cumbria-based Lovingly Artisan is rolling out its first-ever flour range made from locally grown grain which has been milled by the bakery.
The five-strong range of flour, which includes white and rye variants, is the result of several years’ work. In 2023, the business partnered with fellow Cumbrian firm Eden Yard and wheat specialist Dr Andrew Wilkinson to grow a rye crop in the heart of Eden Valley. In autumn of that year, just under eight acres were sown with heritage rye under organic principles and the first crop was harvested in August 2024, yielding around 12 tonnes.
At the same time, Lovingly Artisan got underway with expanding with a flour mill and bakery in Burneside – just up the road from its main site in Kendal – which opened in early 2025 and is headed by Niall Monks, the son of co-founders Aidan Monks and Catherine Connor. The resultant flours are used in the bakery’s range.
Production has expanded further, with more heritage grains now grown and milled locally meaning the flour can now be made available to customers and other bakers.
The full line-up of flours in the range are:
- Rustic White Flour: A gently rustic white flour, milled with more of the grain retained for added flavour, character and nutrition
- Wholemeal Barber Flour: A distinctive wholemeal flour made from Barber wheat, offering excellent baking performance and a rich, well-developed flavour
- Cumbrian Stoneground Flour: A balanced brown flour stoneground from locally grown grain, delivering a warm, lightly nutty flavour and everyday versatility
- Hewritage Rye Flour: A grain packed with fibre and antioxidants, ideal for producing beautiful earthy loaves, as well as crackers, pizza, and biscuits
- Rustic Semolina: A golden, coarse durum wheat flour, ideal for adding texture, colour and versatility to breads and pasta.
The 1kg bags are priced at £4.00, available to retail customers at Lovingly Artisan’s shops and online. 16kg sacks are priced at £31.50 and are available to both trade and retail customers.
“We’ve been working towards this for several years, and once we found the right farming partner, everything came together quickly. In just two years, we’ve learned a huge amount and successfully shortened our supply chain,” said Aidan Monks. “By working with locally grown crops, we’re improving food security, supporting sustainable farming, and creating breads with a true sense of place. The natural next step was to make these flours available more widely.”
Notably, Lovingly Artisan’s Wholemeal Barber Wheat Sourdough, made using the Cumbrian-grown crop, has just been awarded a Gold medal at Britain’s Best Loaf competition. The bakery also received a Gold medal for its Rye Berry Sourdough, Silver for its Cheese & Marmite Sourdough and White Sourdough Tin, and Bronze for its Malted Barley Loaf.
It also received a Silver medal at Britain’s Best Cake competition for its Ginger & Marmalade Sourdough Bake which is made with sourdough bread crumbs.
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