N.R. Stoate & Sons Cann Mills

The History

Brothers William and Thomas Stoate started the family off down the path of flour milling in 1832 taking on the lease of a mill at Watchet in Somerset. Their father John Stoate had been a maltster and a tanner and there was a background of farming in the family all based around this part of the West Country so milling was not too far detached. The business prospered both with local trade and also in satisfying the growing demand for flour in South Wales. Sailing ketches would transport the flour across the Severn (and return with coal!) while horse and cart took care of the local deliveries. By 1877 Thomas had left the business to become a successful grain merchant and William was joined by two sons, William and John and later a third son James.

In 1912 the business had outgrown the Watchet site and a new mill was built at Temple Back in Bristol. By this time the huge demand for white flour meant that the ‘roller milling’ system had taken over from the traditional method of grinding the corn between stones. My grandfather Leonard Stoate (son of James Stoate) was the technical director of this new mill and saw the enterprise grow through much transformation and expansion of market area.
The business amalgated with Spillers in 1933 but the family were still actively involved in operations. Brothers David and Norman (sons of Leonard Stoate) carried the family into its fourth generation of milling. My father, Norman Stoate, started out on his own at Cann Mills (the present site) in 1947 taking on what was a country mill supplying animal feed to the many local farmers. Cann Mills was recorded in the Domesday Book and one of five mills within a mile on The Sturkel, a tributary to the River Stour.

In 1970 the business returned to its roots producing stoneground flour using French Burr millstones primarily driven by a late 19th Century iron waterwheel powered by the river Sturkel.

Over 180 years later, now in its fifth generation, Stoate & Sons is still producing quality stoneground flour supplying both the domestic and bakery trade throughout the West Country and beyond. The growth in popularity for traditionally produced artisan breads and the increased desire towards home baking has helped this authentic flour milling legacy to continue along its path.

Recently my son Ollie has joined the family business and is soaking up the knowledge of his milling heritage, seeing it into a successful third century.

The Process

Like most things in life, the finished product can only be as good as the raw materials one starts with and flour milling is no exception. We take great care in selecting our wheat, much of which is sourced locally but always blended with a proportion of high protein imported wheat. This achieves an end product with consistent baking and eating qualities. The wheat is tested both in a laboratory and through test baking.

After passing through a cleaning machine the blended grain is then ready for grinding into flour between horizontal millstones. The French Burr stone which we use is a natural limestone resembling quartz and originated from the Empernon district at La Ferte-sous-Jouarre. It has been regarded as the most superior stone for flour milling for more than two hundred years.

Although the stones don’t actually touch, after grinding several hundred tonnes of hard milling wheat they do show signs of wear and the stones have to be ‘dressed’. In the heyday of stone milling it was normal to have skilled stone dressers who would travel the country from mill to mill performing just this task but since the introduction of steel roller mills there is no longer a demand for this service.
Over the years we have acquired the proficiency of dressing our own stones. This involves removing any high spots on the working surface of the stone and ensuring the ‘furrows’ are of the correct depth and are well defined. During the milling process the bottom stone (bed stone) remains stationary while the top stone (runner stone) rotates. It is the furrows on the face of the stones which produce a shearing action on the grain as the runner stone revolves. The furrows also help purge the ground material to the outside of the stone and allow air to enter thus preventing overheating which can damage the baking properties of the flour. The slow and gentle process generates a warmth to the flour which ensures the wheat germ oil, naturally present in the grain, is distributed evenly throughout the whole flour maximising the retention of the natural vitamins and minerals as well as enhancing the flavour. During the 1850s there was a huge increase in demand for white flour. This resulted in the new and more efficient steel roller milling technology squeezing out the majority of traditional stone mills. Consequently production increased to meet demand but at the expense of the product’s distinctive character and complexity of flavours.

Once ground, the flour then passes through a mechanical sieve which depending on the grade of flour being produced removes a proportion of the bran (the outer layer of the grain). The flour is then weighed and sealed in our distinctive 1.5kg bags or 25kg sacks, as well as our popular 8kg sack for the keen homebaker..