Matthews Cotswold Flour, Britain’s leading speciality flour producer, is marking World Soil Day by launching a new Stoneground Regenerative White Flour. The new flour is created using grains from a select group of local farms that have embraced regenerative farming techniques that turn the tide on the degradation of soil health.
Bertie Matthews, Managing Director, explains: “We are at a turning point in making a tangible difference to our soils and wider environments. “Sustainability” or sustaining the current food system is not enough. Regenerating our soils through “Regenerative Agriculture” is the future. Regenerative Agriculture or “Regen Ag” is a term that refers to a model of growing food that improves biodiversity and soil organic matter. At its centre are a number of core principles around improving soil fertility, biodiversity, water retention & cleanliness, minimising soil disturbance and enhancing nutrient cycling.
Our duty as food producers and flour millers over the next 10 years is to mill grain from a regenerative farming system. We will focus on working with businesses that consider Regen Ag’s principles to be at their core.”
Bertie continues: “Farms cannot move to a fully regenerative model overnight but our aim is to work with our farming partners, bakers and innovative flour brands to start the journey so that in 10 years’ time all our grains will be grown that way. In the meantime, our new Stoneground Regenerative White Flour is a key milestone as this is the first flour we have produced using wholly regeneratively farmed grains.”
Stoneground Regenerative White Flour (RRP £2.80 for 1.5kg from www.cotswoldflour.com)
Stoneground Regenerative White Flour is a strong white bread flour traditionally stoneground milled in the Cotswolds from regeneratively farmed UK wheat. It is perfect for all bread baking.
Regenerative farming is all about protecting and improving soil health. The methods used can include diversification, complex crop rotations, animal grazing, reduced ploughing and natural fertilisation. The aim is to increase the concentration of organic matter in the soil, promote biodiversity and increase resistance to plant pests and diseases.
Bertie adds: “We know that we are only at the start of our regenerative journey but by acknowledging that soil health is fundamental to our business and making its preservation part of our core strategy we believe we have already made huge strides in the protection of our soil for future generations.”
Matthews Cotswold Flour is committed to supporting regenerative food sources, developing an unparalleled range of top quality, award-winning, products and inspiring, educating and partnering with the nation’s artisan and home bakers. The new Stoneground Regenerative White Flour is available directly from Matthews Cotswold Flour’s website www.cotswoldflour.com as well as other speciality and high street retail outlets.
