Eden Valley Messenger

Little Salkeld Watermill celebrates real bread making

Little Salkeld Watermill will be taking part in Real Breadmaker Week - one of  seven Cumbrian Watermills celebrating National Mills Weekend May 8-9. 

Every year the Mills Section of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) organises National Mills Weekend.

This year SPAB have teamed up with The Traditional Cornmillers Guild (TCMG), an organisation that represents 32 commercial wind and water mills across the UK) and the Real Bread Campaign to celebrate bread making. It coincides with National Real Bread Maker Week (May 1 – 9th). It is estimated that there are around 10 million bread machines sitting at the back of Britain’s kitchen cupboards, so this is the perfect opportunity to dig them out, dust them off and bake some real bread – using locally produced flour from an independent mill.

Little Salkeld Watermill, in the Eden Valley seven miles northeast of Penrith, is the only TCMG member mill in the northwest region. The mill will be open for tours on Saturday and Sunday, 12 noon, 2pm, 3.30pm and there will be a series of workshops and demonstrations as part of a national programme of events.

Baker and Miller Henk Glimmerveen will be running free Breadmachine Demonstrations showing how to get the best from The Watermill’s wide range of award-winning organic and biodynamic stoneground flours. He’ll be working with Unbleached White Flour at 11am on Saturday May 8 and 12 noon Sunday May 9; and with 100% Wholewheat Flour at 2pm on Saturday May 8 and 3pm Sunday May 9.

There’s no charge, but each session is limited to ten people, so advance booking is essential. The machine baking cycle takes a couple of hours, so there’s time for a coffee, lunch, a tour of the mill, or a walk to Long Meg Stone Circle.

Of course you can’t beat the sheer pleasure, quality, taste, creativity and versatility of hand-made bread. Ana Jones, who, with her husband Nick, owns the Watermill, runs a series of very popular day long Breadmaking Courses throughout the year, including one on Saturday May 8 (£75, booking essential). Ana will also be running free hand breadmaking demonstrations on Sunday May 9 at 11.30am, 1pm and 2.30pm.

Nick Jones is also Chairman  of the Traditional Cornmillers Guild said: “The country’s traditional mills, and especially those which are members of the Traditional Cornmillers Guild, are much more than specialist food producers and an important part of Britain’s rural heritage. Very often they play an important part in the local community, providing employment, generating sustainable power, preserving old rural crafts and skills and attracting visitors to the area. National Mills Weekend celebrates the importance of these fascinating working buildings.”        

James Waterfield, Chairman of the Mills Section of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, added: “This has grown year on year and is now a firm fixture in the nation’s calendar.  The popularity of National Mills Weekend shows how important these wonderful buildings are, both in terms of our national heritage and our landscape.  And, with increasing interest in natural food production and sustainable power sources it’s hardly surprising that people want to find out more.”

Up to 97% of the loaves bought today are likely to have been produced in remote and highly automated industrial plant factories with ingredients from unspecified sources and a cocktail of additives. Chris Young of The Real Bread Campaign says: “Plugging in your bread machine allows you to seize control of your daily bread, freeing you from reliance on factory loaves. Baking real bread in a machine with flour from an independent mill is a great way of supporting Britain’s real food producers and knowing what your family is eating.”

To view a video of Little Salkeld Watermill and to see a demonstration of bread making click here or visit the video player on our homepage.

The following Cumbrian mills, all Watermills, as you might expect, are taking part in National Mills Weekend.

Acorn Bank Watermill, Temple Sowerby
Heron Watermill, Beetham
Brampton Watermill, nr Appleby
Eskdale Mill, Boot
Farfield watermill, Sedbergh
Gleaston Watermill, Ulverston
Little Salkeld Watermill, Nr Penrith

Websites :

http://www.sustainweb.org/realbread/

http://www.nationalmillsweekend.co.uk/index.htm

http://tcmg.org.uk/

http://www.organicmill.co.uk/

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