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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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.
A bowl of Mornflake oats is never just a bowl of 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?
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.
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.
William Lea starts milling oats for animal feed at Swettenham Mill, Cheshire, using water to turn the mill stones to roll the oats.
John Lea takes over the mill in Cheshire.
Charles Darwin writes On the Origin of Species.
Business speeds up as oats are delivered to farms in motor cars instead of horses and carts.
Mornflake makes oats a British household staple as Philip Lea is called back from the RAF as a reserved occupation by the Ministry.
Mornflake invents the steam stabilisation of oats — now they have a longer shelf life, so they can be stored in a cupboard.
Available in a shop near you! The first retail packs of our oats come off the line.
Mornflake launches its first marketing campaign, expanding the range and exhibiting at shows.
Mornflake exports to the first overseas customer.
Mornflake hits the big screen with first TV advert.
Mornflake wins its first Gold medal in the International Monde Selection Awards for outstanding quality and continues to win every year thereafter.
Mornflake invents the iconic Chocolatey Squares cereal format.
Mornflake invents Crisp cereal.
Mornflake now exports to over 60 countries and receives The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise for outstanding achievement in International Trade.
Philip Lea is elected as an Honorary Fellow for exceptional services to The Royal Agricultural Society of The Commonwealth.
Mornflake scoops Monde Selection Special Award for 37 consecutive years of Gold medals.
Mornflake starts sponsoring Crewe Alexandra Football Club.
John Lea is awarded a Certificate of Associateship with The Royal Agricultural Societies in England.
Mornflake enters the Guinness World Records for the largest bowl of porridge.
Mornflake now exports cereal to 62 countries.
Mornflake launches first windmill in Scotland, generating 10% of our company electricity through sustainable, non-carbon sources.
Mornflake scoops Best Show Garden at RHS Tatton.
Oatis, our much-loved vintage van, joins the team.
Our oat range is endorsed by Heart UK for its cholesterol-lowering beta-glucan properties.
Cemented in national history — Mornflake is named by the BBC as the fourth-oldest family owned British company.
Mornflake invents ‘Breakfast on Tap’ with Superfast Cereal Pots – a ready-to-eat bowl of cereal after just a splash of cold water.
Mornflake launches Gluten Free range of oats.
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.
In all the years that we’ve been milling oats, our processes
have certainly changed, but our principles have not.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Our pride and joy – over 300 years’ worth of milling knowledge is packed into our most delicious porridge oats yet. And all bursting with creamy wholegrain goodness.
Our signature Oatbran is a source of protein and fibre, while also helping reduce cholesterol as part of a healthy balanced diet.*
Try sprinkling some oat bran over your breakfast or in soups for a healthy boost. It’s also a must-try for anyone looking to do some healthier baking.
*See individual product sections for more details.
Any serious porridge traditionalist will tell you that it should always be made on the hob, with oatmeal. At the World Porridge Making Championships, you’d be turned away at the door with rolled oats!
The truth is, there’s so much more to oatmeal than just porridge – we love to use it in all sorts from baking to delicious risottos.
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You can’t rush breakfast perfection. We have spent years milling and blending our secret muesli recipes – taking as much care over crafting the ideal blend of crispy flakes as we do over selecting all of the extra ingredients.
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Our expertly blended granolas have been carefully perfected over generations. Every serving has been milled and toasted in the Mornflake mill, before we add tasty extras like juicy raisins and toasted nuts.
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