A Eureka moment

Eureka Mills was ahead of its time when, 16 years ago, it became the first mill in South Africa

to produce stone-ground flour.

“Our biggest dream is that, in the next 10 years, every household in South Africa will have one chemical-free artisanal bread on the table each day,” says miller Nico Steyn. “Our biggest challenge,” he adds, “is around education about bread and flour, as well as wheat and gluten intolerance, as we are still creating a bread and flour culture in South Africa. Why is it such a problem now when bread has been around for thousands of years?”

Eureka Mills grows its own wheat that is unique to the Swellendam region and is not genetically modified. (He says some commercial mills import cheaper wheat, often genetically modified, to blend with better-quality South African wheat, and questions must be asked about whether or not the imported wheat is genetically modified.)

“We also practise biological farming, which includes practices such as not tilling the soil, as well as the implementation of crop rotation. This gives us healthy soil and wheat so that we can use less pesticides and fertiliser. We can’t go fully organic – it’s not viable without government subsidies.”

Eureka Mills flours are unbleached and contain no additives, chemicals or preservatives. “Everything goes straight into the bags,” says Nico. “And because the stones grind slowly, the germ is not exposed to excessive temperatures. Stoneground flour retains the enzymes that help humans digest gluten and it has a delicious nutty flavour.”

Visit eurekamills.co.za to find out more about its flours and rusks, as well as where to buy them.