On our monthly trips to London, we nearly always pass through a little community called Arva. When I say little, I mean that if you blink you almost miss it. But I always catch sight of the Arva Flour Mill from the highway, telling myself that we have to stop and check it out one day. Well, that day finally came. I was so impressed by this 194-year-old mill.
Turning off the highway we came upon a small winding road flanked by a stream...
and a shadow box sign giving a brief history of the mill.
At the end of this charming road was the mill and general store.
The little red building on the left is the general store filled with artisanal local products and of course many kinds of flours milled on the premises.
Entering, one truly feels as if time traveling is a reality. I'll let the images speak for themselves.
There is also a newly built store/gift shop housing more refined items, refrigerated and frozen produce, gourmet style.
"We mill the "best flour by a dam site". Changing trends indicated households and businesses wanted a whiter finer brand of flour but the Arva mill resisted the movement towards extracting the natural vitamins and food value. In spite of modern technology, Arva Mills has remained a vibrant business into the 21st century. Quality has been a tradition at our mill since 1819 and we continue to supply our customers with a variety of Natural and Certified Organic flours."
 |
| click on the image to enlarge |
Take a drive down memory lane, literally and support small businesses dedicated to high quality, artisanal products with a strong sense of history. I do not profit from promoting the Arva Flour Mill, I just admire their business philosophy. We will definitely be regular clients from now on. Please click and view a short Ken Burns style video on the Arva Flour Mill. You will see how the flour is milled using original leather, wood and steel machinery. Priceless.
