New £170k East Lothian mill to connect Scottish farmers and bakers
A new flour mill capable of processing up to 500 tonnes of wheat a year is to open in East Lothian, bringing Scottish farmers and the country’s growing community of independent bakers closer together.
Tantallon Mill is being developed by Company Bakery at Auldhame Farm, Seacliff, overlooking Tantallon Castle and the Bass Rock, and will create four new full-time jobs as well as supporting connected local industries.
The £170,000 project has secured a £65,848.86 grant through the Scottish Government’s Food and Drink Processing Scheme Scotland.
The new stone mill will initially source grain predominantly from farms in East Lothian and south-east Scotland, before cleaning and milling it into specialist flour for Company Bakery and other independent bakeries, restaurants and food businesses.
At full capacity, the mill will be capable of processing up to 500 tonnes of wheat each year – enough to make a loaf for every person in Edinburgh and the Lothians, with more than 108,000 loaves left over.
For Company Bakery, the six-figure project represents a return to where it all began. When the business was founded in Edinburgh in 2017, a small Austrian-built stone mill sat alongside its ovens and mixers, allowing co-founder Ben Reade and the team to mill organic Scottish grain for their own bread.
But as the bakery grew and began supplying increasing numbers of hospitality businesses, it quickly outgrew the small mill and the team stopped milling to concentrate on building the bakery.
Ben Reade, Company Bakery co-founder, said: “Milling was there right at the beginning of our story, so it’s exciting to be coming back to it properly.
“We started Company Bakery because four people in hospitality saw a problem they wanted to solve. Tantallon is us taking that same thinking further back, to the farmers, the grain and the land.
“We talk about where our meat, vegetables and fish come from, but flour is still often treated as an anonymous commodity. Better bread starts long before the dough is mixed.
The new mill arrives as Company Bakery approaches its 10th anniversary following a period of significant growth.
Born from four friends working in Edinburgh’s hospitality scene, the business supplies bread, pastries, and other baked goods to cafés, restaurants and hotels across Scotland including Gleneagles Townhouse, UNALOME by Graeme Cheevers, The Royal Scotsman, Balintaggart, Restaurant Martin Wishart, Cairngorm Coffee and Origin Coffee.
Co-founder Duncan Findlater added: “While making this move was quite a big decision, it made complete sense to all of us - very much a 'back to the future' moment in a way. We are always looking at how we can continue to grow while challenging ourselves and making a positive impact within the communities where we operate. The plan is that Tantallon will allow us to do both!”
Work is now under way, with installation and commissioning taking place over the coming months ahead of trial milling in December and first flour entering Company Bakery production from February 2027.
Cabinet secretary for economy Stephen Flynn said: “Our food and drink sector is a vital part of Scotland's economy, and this funding will help businesses right across the country invest in the future.
“These grants will support innovation, boost productivity and help create sustainable jobs in communities from North Uist and Moray to Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders."
The new operation will include grain storage and handling facilities, specialist cleaning equipment, commercial stone mills, flour sifting, mixing and packaging equipment.”
The development of Tantallon Mill and the growth of Company Bakery are a reflection on the growing interest and demand from the public for artisan and homemade baked goods; both as a source of sustenance but also as a draw for tourism. According to VisitScotland insights and search engine data, online search terms such as “bakery Scotland” have grown by 55% between 2023 and 2025. Meanwhile, searches for “bakery Edinburgh Scotland” have soared from and average of 170 a month in 2023 to 590 in 2024 and 1,600 in 2025. The trend highlights Edinburgh’s emergence as a ‘bakery hub’, with visitors eager to sample its vibrant café culture and artisanal offerings.
This has lead to an exploration in bakery tourism campaigns such as the Scottish Bakery Trail, launched earlier this year by the Scottish Bakers Association. The Ultimate Scottish Bakers Trail 2026 is the first-of-its-kind - an interactive digital resource celebrating the craft, community, and the faces behind the nation’s favourite bakes. The campaign also taps into the growing trend of food tourism, with travellers increasingly seeking authentic culinary experiences when visiting new destinations. Insights from VisitScotland highlight the rise of so-called “scran seekers”, - visitors who use social media and food creators to discover local produce and hidden culinary gems.
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The news of this new mill comes just months after another East Lothian Mill, Preston Mill, started up again after lying dormant for 30 years. The mill, which featured in the TV series Outlander, is back up and running - and open to visitors who can watch demonstrations - after major conservation works which included restoration of the French Burr quartz millstones.
The current mill structure at the site in East Linton was built in the 18th century however there are indications that there may have been a mill there as far back as the 13th century, National Trust for Scotland (NTS) said. NTS said the catalyst for the work was a “generous donor” whose initial support made it possible for the project to progress.
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