Matthews Cotswold Flour: Eight Generations of Milling in the Cotswolds

A family mill with flour for every kind of baker

Matthews Cotswold Flour is a family-run British miller with eight generations of milling experience in the Cotswolds. Based at Shipton-under-Wychwood in Oxfordshire, the mill works with farmers and carefully selected grains to produce a broad range of artisan, organic, stoneground, regenerative and specialist flours.

That breadth is one of the reasons we are pleased to stock Matthews at Ratton Pantry. You can choose a dependable strong white flour for everyday bread, explore rye and spelt for deeper grain flavour, or move into French-style, Italian-style, pizza and patisserie flours for more specialised baking.

We use Matthews flour almost daily ourselves, for baking bread and making cakes. It is a range that works equally well for a first loaf, a weekend sourdough project, a busy micro-bakery or a professional kitchen.

From grain trading to a modern Cotswold mill

The Matthews family’s agricultural and grain-trading roots date back to the 1860s, when Marmaduke Matthews began selling seed and corn from the family’s barn at Fifield in Oxfordshire.

Those early activities gave the family a detailed understanding of grain: how it was grown, selected, traded and used. As transport links improved, the opportunity to mill flour locally became increasingly attractive.

In 1912, Frederick William Powell Matthews, known as FWP Matthews, completed the construction of the family mill at Shipton-under-Wychwood, on the River Evenlode. The mill’s position alongside the railway helped connect the Cotswolds with larger towns and cities, allowing the family to supply flour further afield.

The business initially supplied flour to biscuit makers and later expanded into bread flour. Over the decades, the mill continued to develop while retaining its family ownership and its connection with local agriculture.

Today, Matthews Cotswold Flour is led by father-and-son team Paul and Bertie Matthews. The business still mills, packs and sends flour from the same Cotswold setting, combining long experience with modern testing, production and distribution.

Its current range reflects both sides of that story: traditional stoneground flour and familiar everyday staples sit alongside high-performance bread flours, specialist French and Italian styles, and newer regenerative options.

Why We Stock Matthews Cotswold Flour

A complete range from one mill
Matthews gives us an unusually complete selection. You can move from a straightforward strong white flour into Canadian, rye, spelt, wholemeal, French-style, pizza or regenerative flour without leaving the range.

Pack sizes for home and professional baking
Many Matthews lines are available in practical home-baking bags as well as larger sacks. That makes the range suitable for enthusiastic home bakers, micro-bakeries and professional kitchens.

Reliable performance in our own kitchen
We use Matthews flour almost daily for bread and cakes. The range is dependable, versatile and easy to work with across different recipes and baking styles.

British provenance and family heritage
The flour comes from a genuine eight-generation family milling business based in the Cotswolds. That connection with British farming and grain gives the range a clear sense of place.

What makes Matthews flour worth buying?

Matthews selects and tests grain for its intended use, so each flour has a practical role in the kitchen. Strong white flours are designed to provide structure and reliable gluten development, while stoneground and wholegrain varieties bring more texture, colour and grain character.

The range also makes it simple to experiment. Add rye to a sourdough for a darker, more fragrant loaf. Use spelt for a softly nutty flavour. Choose a dedicated pizza flour when you want a smooth, elastic dough that is easy to stretch.

For example, Matthews Cotswold Windrush Strong White Bread Flour is made from premium high-protein British wheat and contains 12.2% protein. It is a dependable choice for everyday loaves, rolls, baps and artisan bread.

The Churchill Extra Strong White Bread Flour offers additional strength for doughs that need support during kneading, shaping or longer fermentation. It is particularly useful for sourdough and high-hydration recipes.

For a more distinctive loaf, Matthews Cotswold Eight Grain Artisan Flour combines strong white flour with grains, flakes and seeds for a wholesome texture and gently malty flavour.

Matthews also offers a growing range of regenerative flour, made with grain grown using farming systems that aim to improve soil health, biodiversity and long-term resilience.

In the Range at Ratton Pantry

Explore the Matthews Cotswold Flour collection for flours suited to bread, cakes, pastry, pizza and everyday baking.

For bread and sourdough

• Windrush Strong White Bread Flour – a versatile British strong white flour for everyday loaves and rolls.
• Wychwood Strong White Bread Flour – a premium strength flour suited to artisan bread baking.
• 100% Canadian Great White Flour – a powerful option for doughs requiring extra strength and structure.
• Organic Strong White Flour – a baker’s-grade option for bread rolls, loaves and everyday baking.
• Organic Stoneground Wholemeal Bread Flour – traditionally milled from the whole organic wheat grain.

For character and texture

• Stoneground Dark Rye Flour – rich, earthy and full-flavoured for rye loaves and sourdough blends.
• Stoneground Wholegrain Spelt Flour – softly nutty, aromatic and ideal for adding depth to bread.
• Eight Grain Artisan Flour – a satisfying blend of grain, flakes and seeds.
• Organic Seven Seed & Grain Bread Flour – a wholesome multigrain flour for textured loaves.
• Cotswold Crunch Flour – a malty blend for bread and rolls with extra bite.

For pizza, pastry and cakes

• Italian Tipo “00” Flour – finely milled and suitable for pizza bases.
• Premium Strong White Pizza Flour – designed for dough with stretch and structure.
• Belle Blanc French T55 Flour – made with French wheat for baguettes and French-style bread.
• French Strong Patisserie Flour – a strong choice for croissants, brioche and enriched pastry.
• Organic Plain Flour – fine, versatile and suitable for everyday cakes and bakes.
• Organic Self Raising Flour – convenient for light, springy cakes.

For a more values-led choice, consider the Regenerative Churchill Strong White Bread Flour, Regenerative Artisan T65 Bread Flour or Regenerative White Pizza Flour.

Which Matthews flour should you choose?

• For everyday bread: Start with Windrush or Wychwood Strong White.
• For sourdough and longer fermentation: Choose Churchill Extra Strong or Canadian Great White.
• For wholegrain flavour: Try Stoneground Wholemeal, Organic Wholemeal or Wholegrain Spelt.
• For a seeded loaf: Choose Eight Grain, Seven Seed & Grain or Cotswold Crunch.
• For pizza: Compare Tipo “00”, Premium Strong White Pizza Flour and Regenerative White Pizza Flour.
• For cakes and general baking: Choose Organic Plain, Premium Plain White or Organic Self Raising.
• For pastry and enriched dough: French T55 and French Strong Patisserie are excellent starting points.
• For regenerative farming: Explore the Matthews regenerative range and choose the flour that suits your bake.

If you are unsure, we are always happy to help you choose from our baking supplies based on your recipe, dough style and preferred pack size.

Explore Matthews Cotswold Flour

From a 1.5kg bag for weekend baking to a larger sack for a busy bakery, Matthews offers dependable flour with a genuine family history behind it.

Browse our baking supplies online, choose your next flour and start planning your next loaf, cake or pizza.

Orders placed before 2pm Monday to Friday are eligible for same-day dispatch, with express next-day delivery options available. If you are ordering regularly for a bakery, café, pizzeria or food business, visit our Trade Accounts page to learn more about commercial support and account options.

Matthews Cotswold Flour FAQs

How many generations of milling experience does Matthews Cotswold Flour have?

Matthews Cotswold Flour is an eight-generation family-run British miller. The family’s agricultural and grain-trading roots date back to the 1860s, while the flour milling business at Shipton-under-Wychwood was established in 1912.

Where is Matthews Cotswold Flour milled?

Matthews Cotswold Flour is milled at the family mill in Shipton-under-Wychwood, Oxfordshire, on the River Evenlode in the Cotswolds.

Which Matthews flour is best for sourdough?

A strong white bread flour is a good starting point for classic white sourdough. Churchill Extra Strong or Canadian Great White can provide additional strength for higher-hydration doughs and longer fermentation. Rye, spelt and wholemeal flours can be blended in for extra flavour.

What is regenerative flour?

Regenerative flour is made from grain grown using farming practices designed to support healthier soils, biodiversity and more resilient agricultural systems. Matthews offers a dedicated regenerative range alongside its conventional and organic flours.

Does Matthews make organic and stoneground flour?

Yes. Matthews produces a wide selection of organic and stoneground flours, including wholemeal, rye, spelt, bread and speciality varieties. Always check the individual product description for the specific flour and milling method.

Are Matthews flours suitable for professional kitchens?

Yes. Selected Matthews products are available in larger sacks, making them suitable for bakeries, cafés, pizzerias, pastry kitchens and other food businesses. Home-baking pack sizes are also available across many lines.

How quickly will my Matthews flour be dispatched?

At Ratton Pantry, orders placed before 2pm Monday to Friday are eligible for same-day dispatch. Express next-day delivery options are available on selected orders. Please check the product and delivery pages for current availability and service details.