A new flour mill capable of processing up to 500 tonnes of wheat annually is set to open in East Lothian, linking Scottish grain growers more closely with the country’s growing network of independent bakers, restaurants and food businesses.
Tantallon Mill is being developed by Edinburgh-based Company Bakery at Auldhame Farm, Seacliff, with views across to Tantallon Castle and the Bass Rock. The £170,000 project has received a £65,848.86 grant through the Scottish Government’s Food and Drink Processing Scheme Scotland.
The development is expected to create four full-time roles, while supporting connected local industries including farming, food production and hospitality.
The stone mill will initially source most of its grain from farms in East Lothian and south-east Scotland. Wheat will be cleaned and milled into specialist flour for use by Company Bakery, as well as other independent bakeries, restaurants and food businesses.
At full capacity, Tantallon Mill will be able to process up to 500 tonnes of wheat each year. Company Bakery said this would be enough to produce a loaf of bread for every person in Edinburgh and the Lothians, with more than 108,000 loaves remaining.
For Company Bakery, the investment represents a return to its origins. When the business was founded in Edinburgh in 2017, its team used a small Austrian-built stone mill alongside its ovens and mixers to mill organic Scottish grain for its own bread.
As the bakery expanded and began supplying a larger number of hospitality businesses, it outgrew the original mill and stopped milling in order to focus on growing production.
Ben Reade, co-founder of Company Bakery, said: “Milling was there right at the beginning of our story, so it’s exciting to be coming back to it properly.
“We started Company Bakery because four people in hospitality saw a problem they wanted to solve. Tantallon is us taking that same thinking further back, to the farmers, the grain and the land.
“We talk about where our meat, vegetables and fish come from, but flour is still often treated as an anonymous commodity. Better bread starts long before the dough is mixed.”
The new mill comes as Company Bakery approaches its 10th anniversary, following a period of growth for the Edinburgh business.
Founded by four friends working in the city’s hospitality sector, the company supplies bread, pastries and baked goods to cafés, restaurants and hotels across Scotland. Its customers include Gleneagles Townhouse, UNALOME by Graeme Cheevers, The Royal Scotsman, Ballintaggart, Restaurant Martin Wishart, Cairngorm Coffee and Origin Coffee.
Co-founder Duncan Findlater said the move was a significant decision, but one that reflected the business’s values and ambitions.
“While making this move was quite a big decision, it made complete sense to all of us – very much a ‘back to the future’ moment in a way,” he said.
“We are always looking at how we can continue to grow while challenging ourselves and making a positive impact within the communities where we operate. The plan is that Tantallon will allow us to do both.”
Work is now under way at Auldhame Farm, with installation and commissioning planned over the coming months. Trial milling is scheduled for December, with the first flour expected to enter Company Bakery production from February 2027.
The site will include grain storage and handling facilities, specialist cleaning equipment, commercial stone mills, flour sifting, mixing and packaging equipment.
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Cabinet Secretary for Economy Stephen Flynn said the funding would support food and drink businesses investing in their future.
“Our food and drink sector is a vital part of Scotland’s economy, and this funding will help businesses right across the country invest in the future,” he said.
“These grants will support innovation, boost productivity and help create sustainable jobs in communities from North Uist and Moray to Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders.”
