Northern Irish flour miller marks 150th anniversary

Neill's Flour, one the best-known and most successful food manufacturers of food ingredients in Ireland, is celebrating its 150th anniversary.

Based in Belfast, Neill's Flour is Northern Ireland's market leading flour mill and producer of a wide range of flour products for the bakery trade, specialising in traditional Irish products blended specifically to meet customer individual requirements.

Neill's Flour became part of Allied Mills, owned by Associated British Foods Plc, in the early sixties.

The company mills all types of flour including Self Raising, Golden Fleece Plain, Self Raising Soda Bread Flour, Fine and Coarse Wholemeal flour.

General manager Barry Kelly, commenting on the anniversary, says: "There aren't many companies in Northern Ireland that are still in existence after 150 years and operating from their original premises. So we are extremely proud to be celebrating this truly significant milestone in the history of Neill's Flour.

"When James Neill started the business in 1867, his aim was to produce the best quality flour possible for his customers and that remains our aim today. However optimistic James may have been in those days, I'm sure he would be proud to see that the company has stood the test of time and grown from strength to strength over such a long period of time.

"The high quality and unique taste of Neill's Flour is loved around the world and we look forward to playing our own part in the company's history by developing the brand further as we look to the next 150 years," he adds.

James Neill founded the iconic flour mill in 1867. The business he started continues to operate from its original mill and is performing stronger than ever, having contributed significantly to the Northern Ireland economy over the past century and a half.

Northern Ireland cook, writer and TV personality Jenny Bristow took time out to pay tribute to Neill's. "I've always used Neill's Flour in my baking and would like to wish all of the team a big Happy Birthday in the company's 150th year.

"Neill's still has those same traditional values with regards to home baking that it did in the 19th century and I'm proud to have worked with the company in recent years to research and develop new and exciting mixes of flour," she says.

Pic: Karl McCrum, sales and marketing manager of Neill's Flour, pictured with top chef Jenny Bristow celebrating Neill's Flour 150th anniversary.