Shipton Mill Flour

Toast
chockswahay on 12 May 2016 at 02:40

I wonder if any of the UK bakers here might have any thoughts/advice on which flour to buy?

I am considering ordering flour from Shipton Mill and to make sense of the delivery I will need to order £30 minimum.

So........ I can have some fun and go mad with my selection!  However, before I do order does anyone who uses Shipton have any suggestions please?

Many thanks

Grahame

I used to use Shipton Mill - changed for reasons to do with bulk deliveries - better from FWP Matthews (but a minimum order of 1/4 tonne delivered on a pallet)

As far as I could tell, Shipton is the only flour mill selling direct at sensible prices - ie. the over £30 thing for free delivery. However.. Be aware that everything will be boxed - probably not an issue for you. (I had issues getting rid of the boxes) Also be aware that it's not next day delivery - next week is more like it. I've also have bad experiences ordering over the weekend - I think DPD use trebuchets to move the boxes inside their warehouses... I've had boxes destroyed/not delivered, re-taped and so on. Rare, but it's happened.

I mostly used their Organic Number 4 flour and the organic light malthouse, as well as the organic stoneground wholemeal.

-Gordon

Hi Gordon,

Thanks for your reply.  I have limited experience of other flours and have only really used Waitrose Canadian white or wholemeal and a few 'own brands' when caught short.  I used to live in Chipping Sodbury and it was Hobbs Bakery (Fabulous Baker Boys) and River Cottage that got me into sourdough.  Shipton Mill pops up as a quality supplier in both books.

Cheers

Grahame

It "just works" and I never had any issues with it. In the past 6 months though I've tried flour from 3 other mills (Stoates, Marriages, Matthews) and occasionally small bags from other places when I've been travelling, and found them all to be different to some degree or another - maybe I just got used to handling Shiptons No. 4 (12% protein) which I'd used for the past 3-4 years so quickly noticed a change. e.g. Matthews flour makes my sourdough rise quicker and needs a little more water to feel the same. Stoates produced a lot of "bursts" in my loaves that I never got to the bottom of (and their "granary" type flour really didn't work well with sourdough at all)

-Gordon

that I was seduced by the free delivery.  I'd end up with 15 to 20 kgs!  it will have gone off before I have used it all!

I like the other suggestions though, I will look out for some of those.  Thanks chaps :)

I still use Waitrose very strong Canadian white and wholemeal :)

(A BakEr, I just checked who stocks Marriage's in Scotland and would you believe it, a place in Giffnock ........... where I had to go on Wednesday!! Doh!)