Built on a passion for quality, the Marriage family has been milling in Essex for 200 years. Using techniques passed down through six generations, we have created a range of award-winning flours that deliver consistently great bakes.
Back to our story
William and Henry Marriage inherited Broomfield Mill and took over the business at 21. With a family history of farming land in Essex since the early 1700s, they dedicated themselves to working closely with local farmers. Biting the grain to check for moisture and hardness, Marriage’s were committed to quality right from the start.
Paving the way for the future, the brothers installed a steam engine to power the watermill at Broomfield. Previously relying on the weather, the miracle of steam gave them the freedom to mill in all weathers to their heart’s content.
William and Henry’s sons were as forward-thinking as their fathers. In 1891, they introduced modern roller milling to Moulsham Mill. The new process gave them 5 sacks of flour per hour! Incomparable to today’s production, but it meant Marriage’s could now make more flour than ever before.
With the success of the roller mill and the growth of railway travel, the sons decided to move to Chelmer Mill. Purpose-built right next to the railway line in Chelmsford, with its own railway siding this made it easier to bring wheat in on rail waggons, and send flour out in the same way to wholesalers in London where it was distributed by horse and van. This is where Marriage’s has stayed for over 100 years.
Marriage’s continued milling throughout the second world war and despite adjacent buildings (Hoffmans) being hit, the mill was spared and production continued without a break.
Just as the steam engine gave William and Henry more freedom, electricity took Chelmer Mill into another new era of flour production.
Our home baking range was launched, originally packed by hand. This enabled Marriage’s to supply home bakers with the same quality flour as professional bakers. Specialities included stoneground wholemeal flour and 81% extraction flour sold through health food stores.
William’s son (3rd gen) was the designer and driving force behind the building of Chelmer Mill and the walls and foundations were built strong enough to allow for later additions, including new flour silos to be built, which allowed for increased production. Other developments included an additional sack packing plant, which was added and made it the most modern mill for miles around!
Honouring William and Henry’s commitment to quality, Sampson David Marriage trained at the Kent Jones and Amos laboratory at Chitty’s Mill in Dover before the war. He sold wholemeal flour to the health store trade for many years, sourcing wheat from organic famers for this from the 1950’s onwards. In 1986 Marriage’s started milling all organic strong flour for home bakers. Supporting sustainability, wildlife, and soil fertility early on, he shaped the future of Marriage’s. His son, George Marriage, current company Chairman, chaired the Organic Food Federation for several years.
Recognising the different qualities needed to bake a variety of specialty breads, we launched our artisan flour range. Milling spelt and rye flours ideal for long fermentation doughs, each flour has its own unique texture and flavour that elevates the quality of each bake
Naturally high in fibre, Golden Wholegrain has all the health benefits of wholemeal with a lighter, milder taste. Using a special wheat variety carefully selected for its mellow flavour, the whole grain is milled to a finer texture for an easy to handle, wholesome alternative to white flour, packed with nutrients available in 1kg, 16kg and bulk.
Drawing on our heritage and traditions, we mill a wide range of flours using both modern roller milling and traditional stone grinding techniques – the same techniques used in 1824. Milled using French Burr stones from the 1800’s, this time-intensive process gives the flour a distinctive texture and unique flavour.
Our flour is now distributed globally to artisan bakers, chefs and home bakers and we’re still a company who prides ourselves on producing the best quality flour for our customers.
We’re always happy to talk when it comes to flour. If you want to learn more about our milling techniques, feel free to get in touch.
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