CORN MILLER
In the 18th century grains for the 364 distilleries in Schiedam were milled by the town’s 20 mills. Mill ‘De Vrijheid’, one of the 7 remaining mills still does this for the last 4 distilleries in the town.
Three successive generations of millers work at mill ‘De Vrijheid’. The miller in the center, named Theo, learned a lot about the craft from Rob and now they both pass their knowledge on to 17-year-old Tygo, who is already allowed to operate a mill by himself. Tygo’s enthusiasm for the milling profession ensures that this craft can stay alive and the ‘Giants of Schiedam’ can continue to exist. In fact, these mills, the tallest of which measures 44.8 meters, are the tallest in the world.
This production mill from 1785 is still in full operation.With the increasing focus on the quality of food in recent decades, artisanal products are gaining popularity. These millers can barely handle the demand for their product.
Theo explains that flour from a mill, is really a pure ground grain. “This is what you call whole wheat. Not like in the factory where white flour is just supplemented with some bran. They also remove the sprout from the grain and with this you lose the most valuable part of the grain that is rich in nutrients. The reason factories do this is because the flour has a longer shelf life this way.”
The millers also use the mill’s flexibility to make an exotic product called Sorghum, for the immigrant residents in the area. “Factories don’t start making these small quantities, so this is a great opportunity for us. This way, a Dutch mill can also contribute to multiculturalism in the area,” says Theo.