The Women In Milling project seeks to highlight and celebrate the contribution of women to the industry.

It’s launched on March 8, to coincide with International Women’s Day, and UK Flour Millers will be launching an online exhibition featuring stories of such pioneers as Margery Kempe, who launched her own brewing and milling empire in medieval Norfolk.

It also includes profiles of the modern mill owners, managers, scientists, technicians and rising stars who together represent not only the present but the future of the modern flour milling industry.

Among those featured is Katie Barwise. Having studied business management at university, Katie was looking for a new challenge when a job as a lab supervisor came up at Carr’s mill in Silloth, Cumbria. A decade later, the 31-year-old mum of two is now the plant’s operations manager, overseeing a 60-strong workforce. “It’s a job I love, because it’s about so much more than flour milling,” she said. “And my message to any young women thinking about a career in the industry is to go for it, because there are so many fantastic opportunities in a variety of different areas.”

Katie also combines her busy day job with ongoing studies to complete the advanced milling diploma run by UK Flour Millers – an achievement that is growing ever closer after some spectacular success so far. In 2019 she achieved the highest score from 500 students around the world in her exams, and after an enforced Covid-break, she is now close to completing the remaining modules.