If someone had told you four months ago that a bag of flour would become the nation's most sought after ingredient, you'd have been surprised – mind you, a lot has come as a shock of late. As the country adjusts to our new way of life in lockdown, many of us have turned to baking to keep busy, from making loaves of bread, to scones, cakes and cookies.
Trouble is, everyone had the same idea and now empty supermarket shelves are a regular sight. There must be another option! Well, thankfully there is – scores of online bakeries and shops are selling flour that can be delivered to your door. Find out where to buy flour below…
The online flour map
A huge thank you to the National Association of British and Irish Flour Millers, who have created an online map which shows which shops near you have flour for sale, along with and websites which deliver to your area. Their website says: "As well as continuing to offer the small bags as usual in shops and supermarkets; we have drawn up a directory of outlets that are selling commercial-sized bags of flour to the public – anything from 4kg bags to 32kg sacks!" Visit nabim.org.uk
Morrisons' bakeries
While many supermarkets are selling out of flour, Morrisons is packing its own bakery flour into bags to sell in-store. Customers can buy a 1kg bag of white bread flour, wholemeal bread flour, plain flour or self-raising flour for just 60p, while a 16kg bag of white bread flour, plain flour or self-raising flour is £9. The store is also selling a 50g bag of bakery yeast for only 20p. To find out if your local Morrisons has a bakery, visit mymorrisons.com/storefinder
Shipton Mill
The Shipton Mill website has just about every kind of flour you could need for home baking – gluten-free, organic, rye, the list is vast. The site has its 'Flour Direct Shop' where it offers flour in 1kg, 16kg and 25kg sacks, and its 'Sack only Shop' which only sells bags of 16kg or 25kg. The Mill is extremely busy right now, and like supermarkets, is making delivery slots available throughout the day, so keep checking. Visit shipton-mill.com
Wholefoods online
The Wholefoods website has a huge array of different types of organic flour to choose from and most varieties are still in stock. Visit buywholefoodsonline.co.uk
Squires kitchen
The site has a good range of flour in stock, from plain and self-raising to bread flour, plus that elusive product, yeast. Visit squires-shop.com
The Cake Craft Company
This website is also selling a wide range of flour, including all the staples: plain, self-raising and bread flour from several different brands. Visit cakecraftcompany.com