Our Process

Great flour begins with great grains. While modern wheat is traditionally grown for yield, at 1847 we work with farmers who grow grains for flavour, nutrition and quality. Sourcing only 100% certified organic grains ensures that sustainable agricultural practices are respected and a flour completely free from GMOs, pesticides or herbicides is guaranteed.

We pride ourselves with working with farmers that truly care about their land and the grains they produce. In return we offer equitable pricing so farmers can concentrate on quality, not just the yield. The result is healthier flour with unique flavour profiles that reflect the land from where it grew.

From the field, wheat, rye and heritage grains are harvested using a combine. The combine separates the grain from the straw and grain is transported in a grain buggy to the cleaner. In the cleaner, the wheat grain is separated from straw, chaff and weed seeds through a series of fine screens, fans and density sepatators. The clean berries of wheat, rye and heritage grains are stored in large sealed grain bins for the season where they are routinely checked for temperature, quality and moisture content. From the grain bins, the berries travel to the mill on their last journey to becoming fresh flour.

The simplest solution is almost always the best solution and when it comes to milling flour there is no exception. The clean berries travel by auger to the mill hopper where they funnel down towards the grindstone. A damsel that chatters as the runner stone rotates taps the berries onto the shoe. The shoe directs the berries into the eye of the mill where the flour milling begins. The stone mill has one stone that rotates (the runner stone) and one stone that is stationary (the bedstone). The coarseness of the grind is determined by the gap between the runner stone and the bedstone

With a stone mill, the flour remains cool through the process and the nutritional value is conserved. From the mill the whole flour flows by gravity into the sifter. The sifter polishes the flour removing wheat chaff and a portion of the bran that was not finely milled between the stones. 1847 does not fortify its flour, as it is full of nutrients naturally. There is no chemical bleaching agents, no added iron and no preservatives – just pure healthy flour. Sifted flour is immediately packaged in breathable paper bags now ready to travel fresh fom our mill to your kitchen.

Originating from Austria, our mill has been hand made by craftsman with over one hundred years of experience. Built using pine wood and natural stone, the award winning mill uses a time-tested design to mill flour as it is meant to be.

The built in sifter defines the body of your baked goods with more coarse sifting creating a more grainy baked product and a finer sieve creating a silky texture. Working with professional bakers, 1847 has tailored the sifter sizes to guarantee that both hearty loafs and fine pastries are possible depending on the flour you choose. All this while maintaining all the flavours and nutrition of a whole grain flour.

Not every flour starts with planting a tree, but thanks to our 100% solar powered mill 1847 is doing just that. The carbon offset from our solar power alone is equivalent to planting 2 trees every day, by the end of the year that is equivalent to saving 40 acres of Canadian forest. Your baking will taste even better when you know the flour behind it is keeping our planet healthy. We hope you also enjoy our 100% compostable flour bags which are diverting plastic from the landfill or ocean. We also repurpose all of the bran and wheat chaff from the milling process by working with local farmers to repurpose it as animal food or bedding – no bull!