The next chapter of our Wheat Project diaries takes us to Shipton Mill, where we speak to John Lister about his dedication to preserving traditional milling methods, championing regenerative organic farming, and fostering closer connections between farmers, millers, and bakers.
Shipton Mill, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, August 7th 2024
It is late summer and harvest has already begun. Driving through the Gloucestershire countryside, we see golden fields of ripe wheat, ready to be cut. Further into the county, we descend into a wooded valley, where, at the end of a track by a small stream, sits the handsome buildings that comprise Shipton Mill. It’s an ancient scene, with the 1086 Domesday Book recording a mill on the site, and the oldest standing buildings dating back to the 1800s.
John Lister discovered the mill buildings in the late 1970s (they had been abandoned for half a century) and set about restoring the place, adding 1920s French stone roller mills, which continue to turn today. Shipton Mill is now the country’s leading name in regenerative organic flours, championing farmers who look after their soil, promote biodiversity and are committed to growing flavourful grains.
“What drew us to this process is its simplicity”
The miller has a special place in the tripartite relationship between farmer, miller and baker. As the one quite literally in the middle, it is the miller who’s able to link what’s happening in the fields with what we do in our bakeries, helping us to better understand the needs and ambitions of the people who grow the grains we bake with. In fact, this line of communication sprung our Wheat Project, an initiative with farmers in which we’re supporting them to do more of the type of farming we think is needed in the food system. Lister was able to directly connect us with 10 farmers who have grown heritage wheat in the project’s first year, all using organic and regenerative practices.
Walking around and talking, it’s clear Lister takes pride in Shipton’s commitment to traditional milling processes. He points out the simplicity at the heart of the operation: wood, stones, and basic grinding techniques that have been used for centuries. “What drew us to this process is its simplicity,” he says. This contrasts with the high-speed, industrialised systems seen in much of modern food production; processes that Lister thinks have eroded the connection between those who grow, mill, and bake.
“Heritage grains are highly nutritious, very tasty, and above all else, climate-resilient”
Reflecting on the postwar era and how industrialisation shaped grain production, Lister points out that monoculture varieties have taken over, reducing biodiversity and increasing the use of harmful pesticides and fertilisers. “Soils have been destroyed, biodiversity has been reduced, and the links between farmers, millers, and bakers have been dissolved,” he explains.
The Wheat Project seeks to reverse these trends by promoting heritage grains – varieties that have adapted over generations to be more resilient to their growing conditions. Thanks to their deep root systems, heritage crops can access more nutrients than modern varieties. And, unlike genetically identical wheat planted today, a heritage wheat field will do well in a bad weather year because of its genetic diversity. “Heritage grains are highly nutritious, very tasty, and above all else, climate-resilient,” Lister explains. Through traditional milling techniques, Shipton Mill is able to unlock the full potential of these grains, crafting flour that is not just a product but a celebration of the land and the relationships that sustain it.
This connection between the land, the mill, and the baker is what excites Lister most about the Wheat Project. It fosters conversations between farmers, millers, and bakers – an exchange of knowledge that brings us closer together and puts a sense of community back into the food system. “Bread is the greatest symbol of community,” Lister says, “and has been for thousands of years.” By preserving ancient grain varieties and supporting organic farming practices, the Wheat Project is doing more than just making bread; it's nurturing a sustainable, connected future for the food system.
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Photography Elliot Sheppard