The Mill - Our Millers Make Us Mighty

Our Millers Make Us Mighty

We opened our first-ever mill over 340 years ago in South Cheshire – the place we’re still proud to call home today. Ever since, we’ve been dedicated to helping Britain wake up to a better-quality breakfast each and every morning.

How? Well, that’s all down to our very talented millers. See, at Mornflake, it’s these expert craftsmen and women who, with 15 generations’ worth of knowledge, continue to pioneer smart new ways to create utter oat perfection.

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From farm to bowl

From Farm

We want to ensure only the very best-quality breakfast makes it into our customers’ bowls. So if that means working with a farmer to find the right seed for their land, or checking the grain before it arrives at our mill, we’re always there to lend a helping hand.

To Mill

A bowl of Mornflake oats is never just a bowl of porridge oats. We use 240 milling methods to expertly craft the perfect blend. Perhaps it sounds obsessive, but when they come out tasting as great as ours do, can you blame us?

To Your Bowl

From traditional oatmeal porridges to flavourful mueslis; crunchy granolas to chocolatey squares; every one of our delicious breakfasts is made from the finest ingredients to put a smile on your face every single morning.

OVER 300 YEARS IN THE MILLING

Our family has been milling oats in South Cheshire since 1675, making us Britain’s fourth-oldest family-owned company. Today, 15 generations later, we are still independent and just as passionate about providing you with a great-tasting, great-value breakfast using the finest-quality oats.

1675

William Lea starts milling oats for animal feed at Swettenham Mill, Cheshire, using water to turn the mill stones to roll the oats.

1690

John Lea takes over the mill in Cheshire.

1859

Charles Darwin writes On the Origin of Species.

1922

Business Speeds up as oats are delivered to farms in motor cars instead of horses and carts.

1941

Mornflake makes oats a British household staple as Philip Lea is called back from the RAF as a reserved occupation by the Ministry.

1943

Mornflake invents the steam stabilisation of oats — now they have a longer shelf life, so they can be stored in a cupboard.

1945

Available in a shop near you! The first retail packs of our oats come off the line.

1956

Mornflake launches its first marketing campaign, expanding the range and exhibiting at shows.

1958

Mornflake exports to the first overseas customer.

1960

Mornflake hits the big screen with first TV advert.

1964

Mornflake wins its first Gold medal in the International Monde Selection Awards for outstanding quality and continues to win every year thereafter.

1980

Mornflake invents the iconic Chocolatey Squares cereal format.

1990

Mornflake invents Crisp cereal.

1990

Mornflake now exports to over 60 countries and receives The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise for outstanding achievement in International Trade.

1996

Philip Lea is elected as an Honorary Fellow for exceptional services to The Royal Agricultural Society of The Commonwealth.

2001

Mornflake scoops Monde Selection Special Award for 37 consecutive years of Gold medals.

2004

Mornflake starts sponsoring Crewe Alexandra Football Club.

2007

John Lea is awarded a Certificate of Associateship with The Royal Agricultural Societies in England.

2009

Mornflake enters the Guinness World Records for the largest bowl of porridge.

2010

Mornflake now exports cereal to 62 countries.

2011

Mornflake launches first windmill in Scotland, generating 10% of our company electricity through sustainable, non-carbon sources.

2012

Mornflake scoops Best Show Garden at RHS Tatton.

2012

Oatis, our much-loved vintage van, joins the team.

2013

Our oat range is endorsed by Heart UK for its cholesterol-lowering beta-glucan properties.

2014

Cemented in national history — Mornflake is named by the BBC as the fourth-oldest family owned British company.

2014

Mornflake invents ‘Breakfast on Tap’ with Superfast Cereal Pots – a ready-to-eat bowl of cereal after just a splash of cold water.

2015

Mornflake launches Gluten Free range of oats.

Pulling Power

The Three Horses

In 1915, times were simpler and we relied on three wonderful shire horses called Flossy, Metal and Bonnie to pull the binder that cut our oats. Things have moved on a fair bit since then, but they still remain the proud symbol of the Mornflake brand and the hard work it took to get us where we are today.

The Mornflake Way

In all the years that we’ve been milling oats, our processes
have certainly changed, but our principles have not.

Nothing Beats Experience

Our millers are behind everything we make. Over the years, their incredible knowledge has been passed down from miller to miller, helping turn every aspect of their craft into something of an art.

Start as You Mean to Go On

From day one, we’ve been dedicated to maintaining our pioneering spirit. From the invention of steam preservation in 1943 to the installation of our first wind turbine in 2011, our business has only stayed steady this long by remaining innovative and always looking forward.

The Proof is in the Porridge

We’re not ones for shouting about ourselves: we like to let our cereals do the talking. That’s why we’ve always focused on keeping our heads down and working our socks off to constantly push the quality of the breakfasts we’re putting on your table.

Sustainable Milling

The oat is an impressive little grain. And we’re proud to run a business based around a product with such amazing benefits. It’s important to us that we always work side by side with Mother Nature to keep the world the way it should be.

Waste Not, Want Not

In this day and age, we believe there is no excuse for waste. That’s why only 0.01% of what we make ends up as waste. We recycle and reuse everything we can and any by-product of our oats is used as feed for local livestock.

Blown Away

We’re seriously chuffed with the wind turbine we installed. Believe it or not, it makes us the first true modern wind-powered mill! It’s a big step in our plan towards one day becoming totally sustainable, with enough energy to power the entire mill.

Waste Not, Want Not

Blown Away

Our Products

We’re proud to have created a range of delicious oat products that show off the mighty grain in all its glory, from the creamiest porridge oats to the crispiest muesli and crunchiest granola. Some of these products are over 300 years in the making, so we hope you’ll agree they were worth the wait.