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Coronavirus: Mill in Chilliwack, B.C., ramps up production to meet flour demand

Winter wheat is harvested. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Charlie Riedel, File

The number of people filling their time at home with baking projects during the coronavirus pandemic has made flour a tough commodity to find in some grocery stores.

Speaking on Mornings with Simi on CKNW, the owner of Anita’s Organic Grain & Flour Mill in Chilliwack B.C., Taylor Gemmel, said everyone is stocking up their pantry.

“There’s such a demand right now, people baking at home, that stores just can’t keep it on the shelves.”

Even though suppliers have plenty of stock, Gemmel said the mill is still increasing its production as store shelves continue to clear out as quickly as they’re filled.

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“We’ve increased our production by about 75 per cent, we’ve just about doubled our employees since COVID happened.”

Baking is certainly one of the approved pastimes to promote physical distancing and staying home to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but it’s unclear whether the baking trend will continue once the measures are lifted.

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“It’s such a fun thing to do, it’s great to do. It’s family, it’s rewarding, it’s a back-to-basics thing we’ve done forever, so I think once people start baking again, I don’t see why they’d stop,” Gemmel said.

 

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