Artisan flour miller Matthews Cotswold Flour has rolled out a trio of new flours grown via regenerative practices.
The three flours are milled using 100% regeneratively grown grain which the firm said are produced using farming techniques which restore soil health, capture carbon and encourage biodiversity.
Available in 1.5kg bags via Waitrose and the Matthews Cotswold Flour website, the line-up comprises:
- Regenerative Pizza Flour (RRP £2.10, 1.5kg) – a finely milled white flour for pizza dough. This light flour has a superior gluten quality that supports good water absorption and creates an elastic dough perfect for stretching and creating fantastic pizza bases, Matthews said
- Regenerative Churchill Flour (RRP £2.75, 1.5kg) – an extra strong, high-protein bread flour, which Matthews said is ideal for sourdough baking and promotes excellent gluten development for effortless kneading and shaping. It contains 12.8% protein
- Regenerative Eight Grain (RRP £3.25, 1.5kg) – a speciality blend of eight grains and seeds combined to produce a strong multigrain bread flour. Combining wheat, rye flakes, oat flakes, malted wheat, maize grits, linseed, sunflower seed and millet seed, this artisan bread flour is ideal for baking multigrain bread and rolls by hand or bread machine.
The latest launch comes a few months after the miller, based in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, expanded its range of regenerative flours with five new additions. The line-up now includes All Purpose, Light and Dark Spelt, YQ Wholegrain, Strong Bread, Plain, Self Raising, Wholegrain, Fine Cake and Artisan T65 Bread Flour.
“Our ambition is that by 2030 every speciality flour we produce will be made from regeneratively grown British grain,” said Bertie Matthews, eighth generation MD of the historic family-run business.
“Expanding this range with Waitrose is another important step, giving more customers the opportunity to choose flour that supports healthier soils, British farming and exceptional baking performance.”
Through its Cotswold Grain Partnership, Matthews Cotswold Flour works closely with local farmers to support them to adopt practices that put more nutrients back into the soil than are taken out, thus preserving the soil and improving the environment now and for the future, the MD added.
“As a 200-year-old business, we are not in this for the short-term profit, we are building long term plans and partnerships that will benefit the soil, the farmers and our customers for generations to come,” he concluded.
Regenerative farming is one of the hottest topics in bakery of late, with many across the supply chain seeking to support the movement. Eurostar Commodities, for example, has created British Regenerative Farming Week. Running from 12 to 19 September, it’s designed to bring together farmers, food businesses, retailers, bakeries, manufacturers, sustainability teams, and supply chain partners to champion farming practices that restore soil health, support biodiversity, strengthen rural communities and build a more resilient food system.
Wildfarmed, meanwhile, has teamed up with Lloyds Banking Group to create a fund designed to accelerate the uptake of regenerative agriculture in the UK.
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