The wheel is turning again at a water powered mill in Kells, County Kilkenny.
Centuries old technology powered by renewable energy is working well for two young entrepreneurs in Kilkenny. The Kilkenny Mills (formerly called Boland's Mill) at Kells has been restored and now produces stone ground wholemeal flour.
All this is due to hard work from Kilkenny man Oliver Mosse who has a family background in milling and his partner Suzi Taylor. The entrepreneurial couple met while working in the health food business and set up Kells Wholemeal Ltd., supplying both home and commercial bakers.
The selling point of their flour is the traditional means used to produce it, resulting in a natural texture and high nutritional value. As Oliver Mosse explains,
We just grind it down, put it all into one bag and leave it alone.
Water from the nearby King's River (a tributary of the River Nore) provides the power for the mill,
It makes a great saving. Everything is run by the mill wheel.
Running their own business brings personal satisfaction, and there is potential for the operation to expand, says Suz Taylori,
There’s plenty of demand for what we’re doing so far.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 3 August 1984. The reporter is Michael Ryan.
