Although most wheat is marketed through grain merchants, producers should fully understand the specific requirements of the

likely flour miller customers. There are currently 31 nabim member companies operating 53 flour mills located throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Many smaller millers have developed niches ranging from retail flour mixes to flours for specific uses such as in speciality breads. During the milling process millers blend different wheats into a range of grists that are then milled to produce up to 400 different types of flour. The result is that individual millers may require certain wheat varieties for specific purposes and are prepared to offer contracts for these. Millers are keen to explain their requirements to farmers, merchants and farmer-controlled businesses. Most millers welcome and regularly host visits from farmers groups, co-operatives and merchants. Each year, HGCA organise a number of Meet the Processor events which includes visits to flour mills.
ADM Milling Ltd Kingsgate, 1 King Edward Road, Brentwood, Essex CM14 4HG 01277 262525 Allied Mills Central Office, Port of Tilbury, Tilbury, Essex RM18 7JR 01375 363100 Andrews Flour Belfast Mills, Percy Street, Belfast BT13 2HW 028 9032 2451 Bacheldre Watermill Churchstoke, Montgomery, Powys, SY15 6TE 01588 620489 Jas Bowman & Sons Ltd Arlesey Road, Ickleford Mill, Hitchin, Herts SG5 3UN 01462 422722 E B Bradshaw & Sons Ltd Bell Mills, Skerne Road, Driffield, East Yorkshire YO25 6XL 01377 253163 Carrs Flour Mills Ltd Old Croft, Stanwix, Carlisle CA3 9BA 01228 554600 Dogsthorpe Acquisitions Ltd Dogsthorpe, Welland Road, Peterborough PE1 3TD 01733 774238 Doves Farm Foods Ltd Salisbury Road, Hungerford, Berkshire RG17 0RF 01488 684880 Edme Ltd High Street, Mistley, Manningtree, Essex CO11 1HG 01206 393725 European Oat Millers Ltd Mile Road, Bedford MK42 9TB 01234 327922 Heygates Ltd Bugbrooke Mills, Bugbrooke, Northampton NN7 3QH 01604 830381 Kerry Ingredients & Flavours (UK) Ltd The Gainsborough Mill, Carr Lane, Gainsborough, Lincs DN21 1LG 01427 613927 Laxey Glen Mills Ltd Glen Road, Laxey, Isle of Man IM4 7AU 01624 861202 W & H Marriage & Sons Ltd Chelmer Mills, New Street, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1PN 01245 354455 C Marston and Sons Ltd Marstons Mill, Icklingham, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP28 6PT 01638 712387 FWP Matthews Ltd Station Road, Shipton-Under-Wychwood, Chipping Norton, Oxon OX7 6BH 01993 830342 R Mayall & Daughter Lea Hall, Harmer Hill, Shrewsbury SY4 3DY 01939 290342 W H Munsey Ltd Clarks (Wantage) Ltd., Town Mills, Wantage, Oxon OX12 9AB 01235 768991 Muntons Cedars Maltings, Stowmarket IP14 2AG 01449 618300 Wm Nelstrop & Co Ltd Albion Flour Mills, Stockport, Cheshire SK4 1TZ 0161 480 3071 Odlum Group Merrywell Industrial Estate, Ballymount, Dublin 12 00353 1 405 1500 Pasta Foods Ltd Pasteur Road, Gt Yarmouth, NR31 0DW 01493 416200 Rank Hovis The Lord Rank Centre, Lincoln Road, High Wycombe, Bucks HP12 3QS 08707 281111 Ripon Select Foods Ltd Dallamires Way North, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 1TL 01765 601711 The Jordans & Ryvita Company Ltd Old Wareham Road, Poole, Dorset BH12 4QW 01202 743090 Sharpham Park Walton, Somerset, BA16 9SA 01202 743090 The Silver Spoon Company Sugar Way, Peterborough, PE2 9AY 01733 422696 N R Stoate & Sons Cann Mills, Shaftsbury, Dorset SP7 0BL 01747 852475 Whitworths Holdings Ltd Victoria Mills, Wellingborough, Northants NN8 2DT 01933 441000 G R Wright & Sons Ltd Ponders End Mill, Enfield, Middx EN3 4TG 020 8804 1166

Flour millers work closely with plant breeders to ensure that new varieties reaching the market meet important performance criteria. Millers also work to understand basic genetic developments, the plant breeding process and the constraints imposed on varieties by husbandry and growing conditions. Home-grown wheat is increasingly important to UK flour millers. Because of this, along with the HGCA, they invest much time, energy and money to assist breeders in identifying the end-use potential of new varieties at the earliest possible stage. Each year, members of nabims Varieties Working Group test candidate varieties from the National and Recommended List (RL) trials using a range of milling and baking systems. The information obtained is then conveyed to the British Society of Plant Breeders by the nabim members of the HGCA RL Wheat Committee as part of the selection process. Flour is almost the universal food and is used for making bread, biscuits, cakes, batters, coatings, and as a versatile food ingredient. Many flours are milled to meet the specific requirement of customers, often in the large-scale food manufacturing sector. Specifications are exact and flours must consistently perform to the stated level. This performance depends on the quality and characteristics of the wheat being used to make the flour. One of the skills of the flour miller is the mixing or gristing of several wheat varieties to produce specific flour types. Major food producers also show an interest in wheat variety development, and some require that flours should be made from specific varieties. Wheat quality Wheat from the 2012 UK harvest generally exhibited low quality and was very poor compared to the previous year. The lack of warmth and sunlight, coupled with high disease pressure resulted in exceptionally low specific weights with consequently lower flour extraction rates. Protein quality also suffered and the high levels of headblight in many crops had an effect on dough performance. These shortcomings produced a strong dialogue within the grain supply

chain about terms of contracts and the assessment of quality parameters with the result that there is now a better understanding of sampling variation and the limitations of some tests. Millers carry out a range of tests to assess the characteristics and quality of individual wheat parcels being offered to them. These tests are used throughout the grain industry and act as comparative performance standards. The laboratories of nabim members take part in a monthly ring-test of samples to ensure the highest level of testing is achieved. nabim has produced a booklet Wheat and Flour testing which explains these tests. It is available free on request from nabim or can be found on the nabim website (www.nabim.org.uk). New varieties For flour millers, consistency of milling and baking performance is an essential criterion for any wheat variety. The supply chain requirement for yield improvements and the constant threat of new strains of disease, mean that wheat varieties tend to have a relatively short life-cycle in agronomic terms. Therefore, it is essential that there is a constant supply of new varieties that show benefits in agronomic and yield terms but which also have improved quality and consistency in milling and flour performance. This year, we are pleased to see another Group 2 winter wheat variety, Chilton, join the RL. There are three very promising new Group 3 winter varieties Delphi, KWS Croft and Monterey. Of those varieties which joined the RL in 2012, none have been seen in sufficient commercial quantities for us to be able to confirm our initial comments from the 3-year test programme, but all remain promising. Milling Wheat Challenge Variety is an important factor in determining wheat quality, but others also play their part such as the standard of crop husbandry, effective use of nitrogen and good storage. For the past three years nabim,

together with HGCA (and previously Crops magazine), has run a competition - the Milling Wheat Challenge - to find the best grower of consistently high-quality milling wheat. Winners Andrew Ponder from Essex (2010), James Price from Oxfordshire (2011) and Andrew Robinson from Bedfordshire (2012) demonstrated to the judges a clear understanding of both growing the crop and marketing it. The competition will be run again in 2013. Full details of how to enter will appear on both the nabim and HGCA websites. Entries will close in early May. Mycotoxins The adverse weather conditions of the 2011/12 growing season not only resulted in poor quality of wheat but also many crops became infected with headblight. Although many of the infective fungi did not produce mycotoxins, overall levels of DON were much higher than those seen in the previous three years. All parts of the grain supply chain have a duty to ensure that their products comply with maximum levels set by the EU Regulations. Working with the NFU, AIC and others in the supply chain, millers have developed a robust strategy to limit problems associated with mycotoxins in grain. As a result of the higher levels of mycotoxins (especially DON) in the 2012 crop, virtually all milling companies (and some other primary processors) will require DON (and in some cases ZON) values also to be supplied at grain intake. The completion of a risk assessment remains part of the assurance requirements and the resulting score can be a useful indicator of potential DON risk at farm level. Milling wheat should only be marketed when a reliable risk assessment has been made. As part of the general overall strategy, as in previous years all wheat from the 2013 harvest will have to be accompanied by both the DON risk assessment score and a statement of the actual level of DON present in a representative sample of grain for at least the first six weeks of the new harvest. This requirement may be relaxed once the overall mycotoxin threat for the year has been determined.

Mills in the UK Mills in the UK and Ireland and Ireland

National Association of British & Irish Millers 21 Arlington Street, London SW1A 1RN Tel: 020 7493 2521 Fax: 020 7493 6785 Email: info@nabim.org.uk www.nabim.org.uk www.fabflour.co.uk

National Association of British & Irish Millers 21 Arlington Street, London SW1A 1RN Tel: 020 7493 2521 Fax: 020 7493 6785 Email: info@nabim.org.uk www.nabim.org.uk www.fabflour.co.uk

The nabim Wheat Guide provides the UK flour milling industrys views on wheat varieties and their relative values in the UK market. It complements other information provided in the HGCA Recommended Lists 2013/14 for cereals and oilseeds. Seasonal variations in climate and growing conditions mean that not only will varieties vary in their agronomic performance but this will also be reflected in their end-use performance. UK flour millers produce consistently high quality products where the reliability and safety of the wheat is of paramount importance. They only purchase wheat that has been grown to assured standards such as those contained in the Red Tractor Combinable Crops Assurance Scheme or the Scottish Quality Crops Scheme. Harvested wheat should be properly stored using a HACCP approach (see the HGCA Grain storage guide for cereals & oilseeds third edition). Different varieties should be separated within stores in order to maintain their full value. Even where varieties are of apparently similar value, mixing can reduce their marketability: a factor brought out in the comments below. Varieties are listed in alphabetical order within each of the nabim groups.

Group 1: These are the varieties that produce consistent milling and baking performance. Providing they achieve the specified quality requirements including 13% protein, 250s Hagberg Falling Number (HFN) and a specific weight of 76kg/hl millers will offer a premium above base prices. Lower protein Group 1 wheat will also be of value, but will attract a lower premium. Group 1 varieties are not interchangeable and some are better suited to specific uses than others. Therefore, it is important to understand the end-use requirements of your customer.
Crusoe Gallant Hereward Solstice Spring wheats Mulika Paragon This variety is 8% higher yielding than Paragon and has resistance to orange wheat blossom midge. It will not be seen in commercial quantities until the 2013 harvest but appears to be similar to Paragon in most aspects of performance. This is a spring variety whose performance in bread-making has been excellent. It remains the choice of most millers when buying spring wheats. This variety, like Crusoe, is high yielding. Its milling and baking qualities remain consistently good and this is a popular variety with millers. This is the oldest bread-making variety, but is now outclassed in terms of yield and no longer on the Recommended List. Hereward can still perform well although it has a higher degree of variability than in the past. The variety remains popular with some millers who may offer contract growing schemes. Although Solstice is now lower yielding than both Gallant and Crusoe it remains the most widely used Group 1 variety. It is popular with both farmers and millers because it has a good balance of protein content, milling characteristics, gluten properties and baking performance. This variety achieved RL status last year. Crusoe has a yield similar to that of Gallant and has consistently demonstrated good protein content and quality. The bread crumb structure has been equal to that of Solstice. Although limited commercial quantities have been seen by millers, over the three years of trials the baking performance was good.

Group 2: This group comprises varieties that exhibit breadmaking potential, but are not suited to all grists. Some are consistent, but not as good as those in Group 1; some perform inconsistently whilst others are suited to specialist flours. Therefore these varieties are likely to attract varying market prices. Lower protein Group 2 wheats are also widely used by millers, but will attract variable premiums.
Chilton (NEW) Cordiale Einstein KWS-Podium

This variety joined the RL for 2013/14. It has high specific weights but, in the three years of testing, this variety appeared to have lower protein content and flour extraction rates. It produced bread of moderate quality. Good agronomic management may be required to attract higher premiums. This remains the Group 2 variety of choice for most millers and growers. Moderate yields are compensated by early maturity and relatively good second wheat performance. It has higher than average HFNs, with good protein levels and specific weights which are also key features. Consistent milling and baking performance continue to be seen by millers. Einstein is no longer in the RL trials. It is now the lowest yielding Group 2 variety but continues to be used by most millers. However, it has a tendency to produce lower protein levels with lower water absorption. For this reason, the variety requires careful agronomic management. Most millers will only be able to use restricted proportions of this variety in bread-making grists This variety yields 1% higher than Cordiale. So far, limited commercial quantities have been available. Over the three years of testing, this variety has performed better than Einstein and meets the intake criteria. However, flour extraction rates may sometimes be lower than expected. It is the only Group 2 variety with resistance to orange wheat blossom midge.

KWS-Sterling Panorama Soissons Spring wheats Ashby Granary KWS-Willow Tybalt

Although high-yielding it has a tendency to produce a lower level of protein. So far only limited commercial quantities have been available. Over the three years of testing, the variety exhibited some variability in protein levels but baking performance was acceptable. Good agronomic management may be required to attract higher premiums. This is a high yielding Group 2 variety which shows good grain and milling characteristics. It is likely to be more suited to uses in blends due to the variable baking quality. This variety was removed from the 2010 Recommended List because it has been overtaken in yield by more recently developed varieties. However, it continues to offer unique quality charcteristics in specialist bread grists and some millers may offer specific contracts.

This variety is seldom seen by millers. The quality has been variable resulting in this variety being used at low levels within bread-making grists. When spring sown this is the highest yielding Group 2 variety. Relatively small quantities have been seen by millers. It has similar high yields to those of Tybalt when spring-sown and 8% higher when sown in the late-autumn. The HFNs have a tendency to be low and, overall, it has shown variability across the years of testing especially with baking performance. As a result, it is more likely to be suited to uses in blends. This variety has a tendency towards low protein content and softer grain. It shows fair baking performance and will be used at low grist inclusion levels by most millers.

Group 3: This Group contains soft varieties for biscuit, cake and other flours where the main requirement is for soft milling characteristics, low protein, good extraction rates, and an extensible but not elastic gluten.
Claire Cocoon

This early-sowing biscuit wheat continues to be the benchmark for Group 3. It is preferred by millers because of its milling qualities, bright white flour colour, and its gluten characteristics which result in high dough extensibility. This high-yielding variety is on the RL for cultivation in the east and west regions. Only small volumes have been seen commercially. In the three years of trials it has shown variability across the years for both grain hardness and rheological analysis. It is unlikely to be a preferred Group 3 variety for all millers. Delphi (NEW)
Invicta KWS-Croft (NEW) KWS-Target Monterey (NEW) Scout Tuxedo

This variety joined the RL for 2013/14 as a high yielding variety with resistance to orange wheat blossom midge. In the three years of trials it has shown some variability in specific weight; however it has consistently met the rheological requirements of a Group 3 wheat. This variety is high-yielding, has a similar performance to Scout and is used by most millers for biscuit and cake-making grists. This variety joined the RL for 2013/14 as a high yielding variety with resistance to orange wheat blossom midge. Quality results have been consistently similar to Scout throughout the three-year testing process. It therefore fully meets the requirements of a Group 3 wheat. This variety has resistance to orange wheat blossom midge and the same yield as Invicta. It has given consistent test results and its baking performance is similar to Scout. This variety joined the RL for 2013/14 as a high yielding variety with resistance to orange wheat blossom midge. Rheological results have been consistently similar to Scout throughout the three-year testing process. Therefore, this variety meets the requirements of a Group 3 wheat. This variety remains popular with growers and many millers. It exhibits similar quality attributes to those of Claire. It has resistance to orange wheat blossom midge. Over the three years of testing there was evidence of variability between years for dough extensibility. It is unlikely to be a preferred Group 3 variety for all millers.

Group 4: These varieties are grown mainly as feed wheats. However some (such as the examples listed below) may be used by millers in certain general purpose grists if they achieve the contractual standards but are unlikely to attract a premium. Growers should take care and avoid mixing hard and soft varieties.
Hard:

Belvoir (spring), Conqueror, Dickens, Duxford, Grafton, JB Diego, KWS-Alderon (spring), KWS-Gator, KWS-Kielder, KWS-Santiago, and Relay. Of the varieties listed, Duxford has a stronger gluten quality and is worthy of keeping separate. With the other varieties, Grafton, and the spring varieties Belvoir and KWS-Alderon generally have higher protein contents, HFNs and specific weights, whereas Conqueror, KWS-Kielder, KWS-Santiago, and KWS-Gator are low protein and low HFN varieties.
Soft:

Alchemy, Beluga, Cougar, Denman, Gravitas, Horatio, Leeds, Myriad, Revelation, and Viscount. Although soft, these varieties are not generally suitable for biscuit flour. Alchemy, followed by Viscount, are the most popular varieties grown and may be used by some millers, but not where they require good gluten extensibility characteristics, which differentiates the soft Group 3 from the soft Group 4 varieties.

National Association of British & Irish Millers 21 Arlington Street, London SW1A 1RN Tel: 020 7493 2521 Fax: 020 7493 6785 Email: info@nabim.org.uk

www.nabim.org.uk

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