Friday 29 June 2012

Presented with the cheque!


Today was the day of the staff and volunteer party for our National Trust area. The barbecue was succesfully carried out in a shelter, and we all ended up indoors as it was windy and rather damp. Mike Innerdale, assistant director of operations for the National Trust in Cumbria, took the opportunity of presenting us with the £1000 cheque that is the cash part of the Marsh Heritage Award.

We now have to agree on what to spend the money on, though we are all agreed it should be something substantial rather than being frittered away on oak and screws. Then we wait until the AGM in November to receive a plaque and certificates.

Tuesday 12 June 2012

Hygiene

The flour we produced and bagged has proved very popular - there were even people waiting for it to be milled one afternoon. We therefore deduce that there is a viable market for our product.
This week we have been improving the interior of the mill to make it easier to keep it clean and hygienic. Wooden surfaces have been varnished, gaps between the flour bagging surface and its "splashback" have been sealed with food grade silicon, and things have been hoovered.
Two of us have already completed an on-line Food Hygiene course, and more are to follow. A hygiene checklist is being produced and then we will, we think, be ready to resume milling flour for sale.