MATTHEWS’ Cotswold Flour, one of the UK’s oldest family-run flour mills, is celebrating a key milestone in its lockdown-fuelled expansion. It has announced that it has now secured listings for three of its speciality flours in Waitrose and increased its shelf presence in Tesco from four to eight flours from its range.
These new listings come in response to an ever increasing demand from home bakers seeking the same high quality, great-tasting, unique blends that professional artisan bakers use to produce their bread.
In addition, the company is launching the UK’s first All Purpose Regenerative White Flour. The new flour is created using grains from a select group of local farms that have embraced regenerative farming techniques that aim to restore and improve soil health and biodiversity.
The flour is suitable for use in recipes that call for plain, strong bread or self-raising flour, if used with baking powder, which allows for more diversity of bakes from one packet of flour, making it great for baking on a budget. The flour will be available in Tesco stores and www.cotswoldflour.com.
Sophie Carey, Bakery Development Manager said, “All purpose flour is commonly used in the US but does not appear on the shelves in UK supermarkets. We have become used to buying plain, strong bread and self-raising flour for different recipes but our new All Purpose Flour is a suitable replacement for all. It is strong enough to make basic breads, especially breads that prove in a tin, but also soft enough to make more delicate bakes such as cakes, pastries and biscuits. It is a great option in the ongoing cost of living crisis as it allows for a more diverse range of recipes from just one bag of flour.”
Bertie Matthews, Managing Director, explains the significance of the farming methods used to produce this unique flour, “The grain used in our new All Purpose Flour comes from farms which have been implementing a host of regenerative practices for a number of years.
“We believe it is the duty of all food producers to move to a regenerative sourcing model. For years British farmers have been incorporating these practices and making real tangible change to the landscape. It is now the turn of food producers, millers and bakers to play their part and get these incredible products into people’s homes.”
Matthews’ Cotswold Flour is a family business that has been trading grain and milling flour in the heart of the Cotswolds since the 1800s but, in 2020, the lockdown baking boom led to the most rapid period of growth ever experienced in their long history.
Matthews’ says that its mission is to lead the transformation of the speciality baking products market into the 21st century and they aim to achieve this through supporting sustainable food sources and developing products that enhance nutrition, taste, understanding and experience. The company works with farmers to grow in a sustainable way that protects the soil and develops wildlife and is working to increase regenerative farming practices across all their suppliers.