by
Alex Waugh, Director of UK Flour Millers
Changing our name to UK Flour Millers is part of a continuum. The name change in itself is part of a programme to bring flour milling into the public eye. Over the past couple of years we have asked customers, colleagues, people in government, etc what they knew about the flour milling industry and the answer was ‘not very much.’
People had little idea of what was involved in making flour. So we knew we had to do something and over the past 18 months or so we have been presenting the industry in a more positive light, finding ways to get out and about and engage with stakeholders right across the spectrum. An association name of ‘nabim’ didn’t really tell anyone what we did. What it now says on the tin is what you get.
This is all part of raising the industry’s profile, raising the association’s
profile and engaging better with people we need to be speaking to.
The pandemic move things along rapidly. The absence of flour in the shops did raise the industry’s profile in the minds of consumers. It’s not the route we would have chosen but we were able to respond effectively.
The industry is well prepared for this second wave. There’s more packaging and more flour in shops. The last time around, the demand of flour going into small packets was up by 80 percent and that extra 80 percent of capacity was found within two week. There was a terrific response from businesses and more importantly from the people working in those businesses.
This time around we are much better prepared. Work absences might be a little higher, certainly in the UK where we have a track-and-trace system that takes people off line to self-isolate as a precaution and not because of illness. We are confident we are able to meet demand as it is.
Regarding Brexit the industry is as prepared we can be. We have several contingency plans in place depending on what the final outcome is. When it comes to our trade with other European countries that’s uncertain.
Read more HERE.
Changing our name to UK Flour Millers is part of a continuum. The name change in itself is part of a programme to bring flour milling into the public eye. Over the past couple of years we have asked customers, colleagues, people in government, etc what they knew about the flour milling industry and the answer was ‘not very much.’
People had little idea of what was involved in making flour. So we knew we had to do something and over the past 18 months or so we have been presenting the industry in a more positive light, finding ways to get out and about and engage with stakeholders right across the spectrum. An association name of ‘nabim’ didn’t really tell anyone what we did. What it now says on the tin is what you get.
The pandemic move things along rapidly. The absence of flour in the shops did raise the industry’s profile in the minds of consumers. It’s not the route we would have chosen but we were able to respond effectively.
The industry is well prepared for this second wave. There’s more packaging and more flour in shops. The last time around, the demand of flour going into small packets was up by 80 percent and that extra 80 percent of capacity was found within two week. There was a terrific response from businesses and more importantly from the people working in those businesses.
This time around we are much better prepared. Work absences might be a little higher, certainly in the UK where we have a track-and-trace system that takes people off line to self-isolate as a precaution and not because of illness. We are confident we are able to meet demand as it is.
Regarding Brexit the industry is as prepared we can be. We have several contingency plans in place depending on what the final outcome is. When it comes to our trade with other European countries that’s uncertain.
Read more HERE.
The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.
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