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Nestled deep in a Gloucestershire valley, you’ll find Shipton Mill, a flour mill steeped in history. The first record of milling activity at this location dates back to the Domesday book of 1086. Today, Shipton Mill produces a range of high quality flours, including those which are Soil Association certified organic, milled from grains grown with a shared ethos of regenerative farming and the championing of biodiversity.
At the heart of the operation is John Lister, who stumbled across the ruins of the Cotswolds mill in the late 1970s, and his daughter Tess Lister, author of cookbook ‘A Handful of Flour’ which shares recipe inspiration on how to use the diverse flours they produce.
In our inspiring conversation, John and Tess share their experiences running a business which celebrates ancient techniques, slow food principles and working with nature, not against it. It’s clear throughout our discussion that Shipton Mill’s impact extends far beyond their bucolic spot in Gloucestershire, as they explain how they seek to support initiatives promoting regenerative practices far from home.
There’s so much to take away from this conversation, but let’s begin with their interpretation of the slow movement; “slow living for us is a very wide concept, encompassing how we should treat the earth, and within business, taking the time to get things right.” Below, you’ll discover how this ethos comes to life at Shipton Mill.
In conversation with John and Tess Lister, Shipton Mill
Can you share the history and heritage of Shipton Mill?
Tess, Shipton Mill: Back in 1979, in his early twenties, my dad and four of his friends discovered the ruins of Shipton Mill at the bottom of a valley in the Cotswolds. This was the beginning of a dream of theirs, to revive and restore the mill and get the mill stones turning again. At that time, they were restoring houses in London, learning the skills of plasterwork, painting, gilding and renovation. How the mill operates has always been influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, valuing the skills of people above machine, and they rebuilt the mill themselves from the rubble. They sourced redundant equipment from old mills and restored and recycled it, which we still use today.
We work with farmers who share our values and promote biodiversity, who seek to look after the soil. A key part of the miller’s work is the selection of grains for the flour, using their knowledge to grind and blend these varieties to achieve the desired qualities for baking.
We use two main methods of milling, the ancient technique of stone grinding, and the more modern technique of roller milling. Each has something to offer, depending upon the type of flour you want to produce. Stone grinding retains all the natural goodness of the grains in the flour. In one single-step process, the millstones grind the whole grain into flour with a beautiful aromatic flavour. This type of flour is at the heart of the mill, the very first flour we produced. We use French burr stone for the grinding, which is a heavy marble and very hard wearing.
What does regenerative farming and organic growing mean to you and how are you embracing these philosophies at Shipton Mill?
John, Shipton Mill: Some of the most important parts of regenerative and organic growing to us are to improve soil health, diversity of crops, work with nature to support biodiversity, support soil conservation and carbon sequestration, and minimise soil disturbance.
Organic farming forbids the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, along with GMO. It has the highest standards for animal welfare with access to the outdoors, and no routine antibiotics are permitted. Organic farming takes a holistic approach to the whole farm which is important to us, incorporating multiple regenerative practices across the farm and within a legally regulated standard with an audited supply chain.
As well as working with organic and regenerative growers, we also embrace these philosophies at the Mill in our garden, which we cultivate using biodynamic and organic principles. The fruit, vegetables and flowers are available to the local community via our honesty box, as well as to our team. We also keep bees following natural methods.
How we treat the earth also goes beyond the farming practices of the growers we work with. To this end, we have commenced work at Torosay Hills on the Isle of Mull. This includes planting 750,000 native trees as part of the regeneration of a Celtic rainforest that once stood upon what had become over-grazed moorland with severely depleted biodiversity. The forest regeneration will contribute to carbon sequestration, more biodiversity, and healthier soils. This is part of a 150-year vision to grow a forest.
What does the future hold for Shipton Mill? Is there anything upcoming that you’re particularly excited about?
John: We’re currently working on the “Wheat Project”, with 12 organic UK growers who are focused on nature-led farming, improving the soil and the biodiversity on the land. They are growing heritage grains, and we are working with them to monitor how these grains perform in the face of the UK climate; with the aim of giving them the best natural chance of success to the climate and local soil profiles.
By growing a blend of a variety of grains – in this instance, heritage varieties – it creates an insurance policy against challenges such as weather, insects, and disease. What might affect one variety may not damage another. This technique is nothing new. It’s an ancient strategy many farmers have used to cope with uncertainty, some discovering over the years which blends suit their soils and creating specific blends of grains which will thrive in the local environment without the need for synthetic fertilisers or pesticides.
These 12 growers are all incredibly inspiring, and it’s exciting to be working with people who are willing to dedicate their entire livelihoods to overcoming the challenges that organic farming can face, challenges from the climate, and who are so driven to make a positive impact on the land.
Are there any other local or slow food producers who have inspired you at Shipton Mill? Where do you find inspiration?
Tess: There are many. I find Will and Hilary Chester-Master at Abbey Home Farm Cirencester very inspiring. They operate the farm organically, and they produce their own meat, dairy (cheese, yoghurt, milk), vegetables, flowers and fruits for their farm shop, all from what they and their team grow on the land. They grow their own grain, which we mill for them just down the road, then return it to them where they bake it onsite into fresh bread. They also do a lot to engage children in learning about what they do, making it an enjoyable place for all to visit.
How do you interpret slow living in your lifestyle and approach to business?
John: We have always believed that yield and speed are not the correct way to measure the “success” of a crop. Diversity and natural resilience, along with allowing wildlife to thrive and the soil to regenerate, should be the priority.
Slow living for us is a very wide concept, encompassing how we should treat the earth, and within business, taking the time to get things right. Our original company motto was “A time for everything, and everything in its own time”(!). We have from day one been supporters of the Slow Food movement, which informs our philosophy at the Mill from the grains we source to the growers we work with. There can be a lot of pressure to move fast, but taking time to get things right is so important to us.
There can be a lot of pressure to move fast, but taking time to get things right is so important to us.
Can you share some of your favourite things to bake using Shipton Mill flour?
Tess: One of our favourite things at the moment is Chris Holister’s Maris Widgeon sourdough. The grains for this flour were farmed organically less than 30 miles from the Mill by some incredible growers such as John Prior at Castle Combe and Fir Farm at Stow on the Wold. We love the flavour of the Maris Widgeon.
Recently I also loved using our solina flour in shortcrust pastry for a chocolate tart with piment d’espelette (a rare chilli that is usually grown in the Basque region of France) that I was given by some family friends who grew it themselves. Some of the flours I always have in the cupboard are our gram flour, which I use in a type of farinata with sage (savoury pancake), our pinhead porridge oats which make a naturally creamy textured porridge, and our soft cake and pastry flour which is my go-to for any sponge cakes.
What do you think we can do to inspire more people to embrace slow food and seasonal living?
Tess: At the Mill, with the aim of inspiring others, we invite people to the Mill and our garden to visit and engage with the community, and we also run baking courses. We share our recipes in the hope that others will enjoy them too. We encourage people to learn about different grains, different varieties, their baking properties, and to be open-minded about what you can make with them.
We strive to work with nature, not trying to force it to be something different.
We strive to work with nature, not trying to force it to be something different. For example, if a particular harvest has yielded a wheat which isn’t going to produce a good high hydration sourdough, instead of being fixed on making that sourdough, consider what you could make instead with this flour that it would be suited to – maybe something like buns, scones, a tin loaf or a cake. Be less focused on food trends and work with the natural properties of that grain and flour.
From talking to the farmer, you will learn all sorts of information which explain exactly why a harvest turned out the way it did with regards to a grain’s baking properties. With imported supermarket produce, there is now a general expectation that produce will be available all year round, and of a consistent standard as it can be imported from anywhere in the world. If you want to buy locally, independently and seasonally, there are always going to be seasonal variations in the produce, whether a grain harvest, fruit, veg, and different items available at different times of year. Learning to work with that and be flexible, and to appreciate those things when they are in season, is a great way to embrace slow food and seasonal living.
Start first with what’s available to you that day and within your budget, then take inspiration from the produce to find a recipe to work with it, rather than the other way around.
I guess this is going to be different for everyone, but I personally take a lot of inspiration from produce and recipes. Start first with what’s available to you that day and within your budget, then take inspiration from the produce to find a recipe to work with it, rather than the other way around. Some cookbooks index by the season which is brilliant, and for me, cookbooks are one of the most helpful ways to find inspiration for seasonal cooking. If you are short on time or energy, batch cooking is great for making your efforts go further and last multiple meals too, as well as limiting waste. Having recipes year-round that I can use for produce that is past its best too is helpful as I hate binning food – winter stews, summer panzanella, stocks.
Discover more about Shipton Mill to explore their range of flours, workshops and breadmaking equipment.
For more inspiring conversations with slow food producers, catch up on our interviews with Charlie White of The Slow Farming Company and Tom Calver from Westcombe Dairy.