Milling News A Flour World Museum story No. 1
Meeting millers Tom Blacker, International Milling Directory
King-size king cake You can get it as a dry cake, with cream, truffle chocolate, or in worldrecord size – king cake, eaten in Mexico since the 16th century at Epiphany. To celebrate 200 years of Mexican independence, Mexico City bakers made a truly king-size "Rosca de Reyes" weighing ten tons and measuring 2360 feet long. The massive cake took 16,684 pounds of flour, 56,880 eggs and 8157 pounds of butter, and cut nicely into 254,000 pieces. But no one knows who found the porcelain figurine that is hidden in every Rosca de Reyes. This will no doubt remain a mystery, for whoever finds it must make tamales for all the guests, later at the "Fiesta de la Candelaria". With this gargantuan cake that would be an impossible task. The Mßhlenchemie FlourWorld Museum in Wittenburg is an expression of our company culture and the responsibility we feel towards the miller and his flour, as one of the most important staple foods. The museum is a journey through the millennia, illuminating the development and importance of flour. It is the only one of its kind in the world.
The opportunity to step out and meet millers is always a pleasure. Meeting a miller in person, as we all know, involves understanding a miller’s unique personal perspective. In any mill operation, the miller is a central person (It is qualified people who run and control the technology and machinery to ensure the smooth running of the mill). As each person is different in many ways, millers must also be appreciated in their own way too. In my opinion, this means conversing about their mills and how they produce for their customers. Millers do not just drop in and out of the industry with high turnover rates, they learn, train and spend a long amount of time building their personal touch and craft. In my work with The International Milling Directory, and Milling and Grain magazine, I have had the privilage of visiting countries all over the world, and have been fascinated to talk to millers about how individuals deal with both the core challenges that face all of us in the industry, but also the specific challenges that come with geography. No matter what part of the world you are from, the International Milling Directory is always a great resource, when comparing, buying and understanding the latest products in the market place. It connects millers to the supply chain and the network they depend on, both locally and globally. It allows for greater communication in this industry that needs more transparency and connectivity. Recently at the IDMA exhibition in Turkey, I had the pleasure of also reacquainting myself with some of the millers and suppliers that I have met at other places. This is one of the great aspects of trade shows like this one - real business relationships can be forged. I was glad to provide many directories to many millers directly. The Turkish feed and flour market continues to grow at a very rapid pace. Undeterred by many political or economic sanctions, such as those affecting and disrupting Western trade means that Turkey is open to trading even more than ever before with Russia, the Middle East, Africa and South America. The oversight and management from the TUSAF and TMO organizations seems to be working well for an industry growing and with further room to grow. The future is bright. We will hope to keep a keen eye on further innovations and developments as Turkey advances onwards.
www.flourworld.de
Tom Blacker Directory Coordinator
www.muehlenchemie.de 16 | Milling and Grain