Practical Flour Milling

Event details

Friday 26 April 2024, 9.30am - 4.30pm  

Join us for a practical flour milling workshop at Charlecote Watermill, Warwickshire. 

You will spend the day gaining hands-on experience running the watermill under the careful supervision of highly skilled, traditional millers Karl Grevatt and Jon Cook.  

You will gain practical experience of starting and stopping the mill, milling different types of flour, dressing flour, moving grain around the mill and bagging up. You will also gain insight into selling flour and the hygiene and trading standards required to mill and sell flour.

The mill itself, which dates from about 1800, is powered by two large undershot waterwheels from the River Avon. The mill grinds wheat between French burr millstones to make conventional wholemeal wheat flour and unbleached white flour, suitable for bread making. It also specialises in Chapatti flour for the local Asian communities. 

This is a unique opportunity to gain hands on experience of traditional flour milling in a small, friendly group environment. 

Who is it for?

This event is perfect for mills enthusiasts and may be particularly useful for mill volunteers and trainee millers. 

You will get

• Hands on experience of milling in a watermill 

• Knowledge of how to dress flour and how to mill different grades and types of flour 

• An understanding of food hygiene and trading standards regulations relating to milling and  selling flour 

• Insight into how to operate a mill safely  

You will need to wear

• Strong shoes to protect your feet from any falling objects 

• Reasonably tight-fitting clothes to prevent items of clothing being caught in moving machinery 

• Overalls (painters' bib or lab coats are ideal) to protect your clothes and prevent contamination of the flour 

• A dust mask   

• A hat to cover your hair, with long hair tied back  

Tutors

Karl Grevatt is the current miller at Charlecote Mill; he took over the mill in 2012 and now runs it commercially, producing up to 2.5 tonnes each week.  

Jonathan Cook is the owner of Fosters Mill, producing stoneground organic flours milled by wind power. He is also a former chair of the SPAB Mills Section. 

Photography 

We may take photos or videos at this event to be used in future promotion, including in print and online. 

Accessibility

There is ground floor level access at the mill and stairs to access the upper floor. Participants will be standing for much of the day. There might be some optional lifting involved.

Anything we can do to make this event more accessible for you? Please email millsinfo@spab.org.uk.

Booking Terms and Conditions

Image credit: Charlecote Watermill interior © Karl Grevatt