Flour mill and brewery make Bowhouse a must

A new flour mill and brewery are to open at Bowhouse, the home of a growing number of artisan food producers.

Bowhouse is located at the Balcaskie Estate, near Anstruther in Fife, and the mill will be run by Scotland the Bread, which has been growing and experimenting with a range of new and heritage Scottish and Nordic varieties of nutrient-rich grains in the fields at the estate. These grains will be milled and sold as speciality flours.

Scotland The Bread is a collaborative project to establish a Scottish flour and bread supply that is healthy, equitable, locally controlled and sustainable. In short they aim to grow nutritious wheat and bake it properly close to home.

It brings together plant breeders, farmers, millers, bakers, nutritionists and citizens with the common purpose of producing healthy food. Working with scientists in leading institutions, they continue to research heritage Scottish and Nordic wheats to find nutrient-rich varieties that do well in local conditions.

The best of Scottish food and drink can be found at Bowhouse

At the same time, they work to stimulate a market for the improved grains by building capacity in community-scale, artisan bread making. Scotland the Bread is currently looking to recruit a miller-manager to manage the Bowhouse operations.

The new brewery at Bowhouse is run by Lucy Hine and Stephen Marshall from East Neuk Organic Brewing & Distilling Ltd, who will create a small range of nourishing, organic beers, inspired by the nearby coastline, under the name ‘Futtle’.

They will specialise in farmhouse styles, experimenting with wild yeasts and spontaneous fermentation and using traditional organic grains from the fields of Balcaskie on the doorstep of the brewery.

Bowhouse opened in July 2017 and is home to a growing number of artisan producers. It is also known as the venue for the monthly food weekends, which bring together local food and drink producers and street food traders in an atmosphere where visitors can experience world-class produce direct from the maker in an atmosphere with live music and hands-on workshops.

This month Bowhouse celebrated its first birthday with its monthly food weekend drawing a record 5623 visitors over the two-day event.

Artisan food and drink can be found each month at Bowhouse (Photo: Tara Darby)

The new brewery and flour mill will join businesses based at Bowhouse including:

• Langoustine the Box – this company works with local shellfish fishermen to make langoustine, lobsters and crab available to the public.

• Minick Butchers – this local artisan business is experimenting with maturation techniques in meat at his Bowhouse facility.

• Keeping the Plot – this florist is growing cut and edible flowers in the fields around Bowhouse.

• Bibi’s Little Bakery – this local bakery is creating a range of macarons.

• The Loft at The Mill House – a new enterprise that produces wood fired pizzas on site in a cafe due to open this autumn.

• Mara Seaweed – this innovative business uses Bowhouse as a base while they forage for seaweed on the shore nearby.

• Fit to the Core, offering pilates, yoga, fitness classes and nutritional coaching, also operates at Bowhouse.
Bowhouse provides food and drink producers with a dedicated space in which to operate as well as providing economies of scale in terms of distribution, collaboration and advice.

In addition a large, covered market space is available for events, which include the popular Bowhouse Food Weekends.

The next food weekends take place on the following dates: 11-12 August, 10am-4pm, free. 8-9 September, 10am-4pm, free. 13-14 October, 10am-4pm, free. 10-11 November, 10am-4pm, free. 8-9 December, 10am-4pm, free.

Find out more about Bowhouse and to find out more about production units and support for food and drink businesses by emailing market@bowhousefife.com or calling 01333 720200.