SUPPORTING BRITISH FARMERS

We work as closely as possible with suppliers and farmer cooperative’s. At Carr’s we think this is hugely important as the farmer knows where his wheat is going, what products we’re producing and knows we’re going to be here long term. This support and commitment gives farmers the confidence when planning what to grow. The majority of the wheat we buy is local to our mills.

SOURCING THE BEST WHEAT

Carr’s source English wheat from local farmers where possible and carefully blend with other wheats to produce flour of the finest quality.  At Maldon 70% of the wheat comes from within a 30 miles radius of the mill. At Kirkcaldy 70% of the wheat is delivered by boat  and the remaining 30% of wheat is sourced locally from Scotland and North East England.  This local commitment helps to keep food miles to a minimum.

Wheat is a natural product that can vary by variety, by region and by growing and harvest conditions from year to year. Wheat is selected to match its required end use. Carr’s source English wheat from local farmers where possible and carefully blend with other wheats to produce flour of the finest quality. This local commitment helps to keep food miles to a minimum. Many of the farmers that supply Carr’s have been farming families for generations – indeed these farmers have been supplying Carr’s for generations. The better the wheat, the better the flour.

HELPING REDUCE FOOD MILES

Carr’s source English wheat from local farmers where possible and carefully blend with other wheats to produce flour of the finest quality.  At Maldon 70% of the wheat comes from within a 30 miles radius of the mill. At our Kirckaldy mill, 30% of wheat is sourced locally from Scotland and North East England.

Wheat is also delivered by ship into the ports next to the mills. At Silloth, a single ship can deliver up to 3500 tonnes of wheat. This is the equivalent saving of 120 lorry loads of wheat being delivered by road. This method of transporting wheat, has a massive environmental benefit, as it significantly reduces road traffic a large source of pollution. At Silloth 50% of the wheat comes via boat and at Kirkcaldy 70% of the wheat is delivered by boat. This local commitment helps to reduce food miles.

ENERGY

Our newest mill was built at Kirkcaldy in 2013 and as part of its efficiency, the temperature and pressure within the mill building is controlled through an integrated management system. Heat that is generated by the milling process recovered using heat exchangers and then used to warm air that is re-circulated within the mill building. The latest energy efficiency technology is utilised which include variable speed drives on all main motors.

We have a strong environmental ethos and currently operate our vehicles with the eco-friendly Euro 6 engines, 6 now being the cleanest engine in the market. We are now starting to introduce vehicles running on biodiesel.

REDUCING WASTE

We try and keep our waste to an absolute minimum and typically less than 0.08% of our production ends up in landfill as waste. During the milling process, a co-product is bran. We aim to minimise wastage as much as possible. The bran produced is added into wholemeal and brown flours, inclusions into breakfast cereals or just food-grade bran. The remainder is not wasted and will be sold on and turned into animal feed to minimize waste.

RECYCABLE PACKAGING

Our flour is packed into paper bags and paper sacks that have been produced in the UK, using paper sourced from renewable forests. All our packaging can be recycled and deliveries are made on reuseable wooden pallets. A large amount of flour we supply to the trade is delivered in bulk tankers where no packaging is required.

PEOPLE

Carr’s is a family-owned business, and one that places huge value on people. After all its people that make a good company great! A lot of employees across the three mills have worked for Carr’s many years.