Behind the factory gates at Mistley's Edme

In Mistley there’s a company whose products are relevant to everyone with an interest in a healthy diet – and everyone who is keen on supporting the local economy.

It produces natural wholegrain ingredients and supplies them to bakers and food manufacturers all over the country – and abroad.

The English Diastatic Malt Extract Company, formed in 1884, later became known as Edme, or for many locals, “the Edme”.

For over 130 years the familiar industrial buildings near the banks of the Stour Estuary have been home to the company’s operations.

“We’re based here for very good reasons,” says director Mike Carr.

“This is an excellent region for cereals – which means we can get our hands on locally grown, premium quality, wheat, barley, rye and oats. Our production team turns these into fantastic flours and flakes.

“Edme is just a stone’s throw away from Crisp Maltings, who create malted grain from cereals.

“Malting is a natural 3 step process – steeping (soaking), germinating (sprouting) and kilning (heating). The resulting grains are very tasty indeed and our skilled team uses them to create awesome flours and flakes for the food industry.

“With a major port and main routes nearby, we’re in a great position to export our ingredients as well as to supply them to bakers and food manufacturers across the country.”

Eating habits have transformed in recent decades, no more so than in the bakery sector, to which Edme supplies most of its ingredients.

More than 12 million loaves are sold each day in the UK, 76 per cent of which are white bread.

Consumption of white bread, and white sliced in particular, has been declining for some years now.

By contrast, more and more people are turning to breads containing wholegrain flours, flakes and seeds – and sales of these are increasing.

“Over 200 different kinds of bread are produced in Britain,” says Mr Carr.

“Many of them packed with a wonderful range of nutritious ingredients.

“British people eat two or three slices of bread a day – and those eating wholegrain are getting the benefit of fibre, vitamins and minerals so essential to good health.”

According to the NHS, risk of early death from heart attacks and strokes diabetes, cancer and bowel disorders can be reduced by the consumption of wholegrains. Nutritionists advise three portions of wholegrain a day.

Yet in Britain 20 per cent of the population eat none at all, 33 per cent eat only three portions a week, and just five per cent manage the recommended intake.

“When you think about it, the refined white wheat flour model is flawed,” said Mr Carr.

“First the bran layer is removed – and lo and behold half to two thirds of the grains’ nutrients are lost.

“The grains are then milled into refined bread flour and because of the poor nutritional content, manufacturers are legally obliged to add nutrients back in.

“It’s got to make more sense to retain the nutrients in the first place by using whole grains. That’s exactly why Edme supplies bakers with natural wholegrain products.”

Many of the flours and flakes produced by Edme are from wheat, rye, oats and barley, some malted and some un-malted. The company also produces an ever-more popular gluten-free range of flours. These include rice, maize, sorghum, buckwheat, millet and quinoa – as well as bean, pea and lentil.

Bakers and food manufacturers use this great range of healthy ingredients for bread and baked goods, cakes, pastries, pies, sauces, batters and coatings. To help them with their production, Edme can blend different ingredients in the proportions needed for their particular recipes.

Members of the production team who work in the ‘mixing’ departments are well aware of the importance of attention to detail.

“Whether we’re creating mixes for own-brand breads in the major supermarkets, for large bakeries or for small artisans, we have to get it right,” says Ben Constable, who works in the mixing section.

“It’s all about being sharp and efficient, working well as a team – and being committed to producing the very best quality ingredients.”

Work-mate Adam Coleby agrees, adding: “The recipes are getting more interesting. There’s now much greater demand for flours mixed with seeds. Sunflower, pumpkin and poppy have been popular for a while.

“These have been joined by linseed, millet, quinoa and even chia.” Although we could turn the seeds into flour, most of them are added whole into flour mixes.

Mr Coleby added: “The flours themselves are getting more varied too. Bakers are after rye, spelt and dark malt flours – ones that add flavour and make the bread look different.”

They both say that working with ingredients has made them much more adventurous in their own choice of breads.

They say they may not have ventured much beyond a standard white loaf if they hadn’t had the chance to find out so much about healthy ingredients. They’ve become far more interested in the information on the packaging of food when they shop.

They are always on the look-out for combinations of ingredients that EDME has provided.

“It gives you quite a feeling of satisfaction, knowing you’ve played your part in creating some of the healthiest foods on the shelves,” added Ben.

Lukasz Pawlik, who’s been at Edme for 10 years, works on the company’s new mixing plant which was recently installed to meet the growing demand for blends of ingredients.

He says that the new equipment has reduced the amount of manual handling, but that the work can still be physically demanding.

He said: “It can be quite challenging. You have to be fit, as well as on the ball, to work in production. People here work hard – and the results are great products for the food industry. That’s good for everyone.”

Awareness of the relationship between food and wellbeing has grown a lot in recent times. This is great for Edme, which produces natural, wholegrain ingredients packed with nutritional benefits.

“When you tuck into a delicious wholegrain or seeded bread from your local baker or a main supermarket,” added Mr Carr.

“The chances are one or more of the ingredients come from Edme.

“So you’ll be supporting local farmers who supply us with grain, local people who have jobs at the company, and the local and national economy which desperately need a successful manufacturing sector.

“All that at the same time as eating more healthily.”