Buy one, get one free. Bigger value pack. Larger loaf sizes. 25% extra for you this month. More portion size for your money. Twice the car for half the price. Extra weekend minutes on your cell phone contract. More is at all times marvellous and bigger is always better ... or is it?
In last month's Miller's Grist we attempted to put a price on quality and ascertain whether it is a justifiable expense. The article outcome was that quality is indeed an essential component of any business success; regardless of whether related to finished product quality, the equipment required to produce it or the valuable people and systems to drive it.
I am sure that most of us are familiar with news reports earlier this year announcing that Toyota was forced to recall several of its models amidst fears of faulty acceleration pedal mechanisms. It was intimated by some critics that Toyota's rapid expansion during the 2000's resulted in compromised quality. If this is the case, then this is a perfect illustration of how bigger is definitely not always better and that quality is in fact non-negotiable.
Repeatedly in this column I have highlighted the great potential that exists for small-medium-scale cereal mills to operate within the Southern African context (alongside the existent large mills). This of course extends to related industries such as baking and other value-add sectors as well. This sentiment is reinforced by our Government. In its 2010/11 - 2012/13 Industrial Policy Action Plan released in February 2010, Government maintained that active promotion of investment in the small scale milling segments would contribute to the process of moderating pricing in a key sub-sector that impacts greatly on food costs. In addition to job creation, the government maintained that it would also contribute to poverty alleviation through being ‘particularly competitive in rural areas where high transport and logistics costs raise the price of basic food products'.
Of course it is easy to lay out theoretical best practice parameters for use of specialised materials. However finding the actual suppliers is another matter all together! We have had many queries through our Miller's Grist column from various bakers all over the country trying to source small amounts of specialised flours - anything from organic whole wheat to non-gluten to kosher. An example that readily springs to mind involves the benefits associated with using custom made flours for specific food groups such as pizzas and European breads.
Sometime back, we did a bit of research on this at African Micro Mills and found a possible solution to this large problem - in the form of something quite tiny. The Faribon is a mini mill no larger than a bar fridge that can easily be placed on a kitchen table or small bakery worktop. Producing 50-60kg per hour, it can be used to mill meal or flour from maize, wheat, beans, peas, barley-oats, rice, sorghum and millet. The plant can also be used to mill various spices. Although the Faribon was featured in Miller's Grist some time back, I thought it was certainly worth a re-look in light of the current conversation.
‘Faribon' is the Italian word for ‘family'. This mill is aptly named as the original intention was for European families to use it to produce fresh flours for use in delicious bread and pasta dishes. This was the brain child of the Italian company named Omas. Although they specialise in 5 ton to 50 tons per hour milling plants, they are extremely passionate about milling - the Faribon was the ‘weekend' project of one of their mill designers! We at African Micro Mills are very excited to collaborate with other passionate companies and we look forward to our partnership with Omas in Southern Africa.
The Faribon is simple to use and its functionality could certainly be broadened in Southern Africa to include novelty bread bakeries, restaurants, pizza makers, farm kitchens and niche markets such as organic, Kosher or Halaal. It would also be ideal for mills and silos to use as a test mill for incoming grain - in terms of milling wheat samples prior to conducting falling number and mixograph tests.
Essentially, the Faribon is a modern take on the old stone mill. Although much simpler to use, this mini mill still retains all of the goodness of the proteins found in the aleuronic layer of cereals such as maize or wheat. (In modern milling, much of this protein is often lost with the bran). The end result then, is a flour that may not be as white as, for example cake flour, but will boast superb baking qualities, taste and health properties.
The Faribon is available in single and three phase for domestic and industrial use. It also comes with five different sieve meshes from 1000 micron to 212 micron, allowing for flexible particle sizing and consistency.
Retailing at under R20, 000 delivered anywhere in South Africa, the Faribon is a great little solution that is well within the reach of individuals and small businesses - in terms of functionality, ease of use and of course, affordability. With the cost of most cereals being less than 50% of the cost of flour, producing your own ingredients can be quite profitable too!
At African Micro Mills we offer you the finest in Italian milling equipment, modified to fit seamlessly within the Southern African context. Our intimate knowledge of Southern African markets and business workings, coupled with a wide range of localised milling solutions, full spares service and ongoing support, HR solutions, mentorship programmes, feasibility studies and other advice will help you capitalize on cereal milling investments and related basic food industries in Southern Africa.
As always, we look forward to hearing from you. If you are interested in finding out more about the Faribon, or have any comments or queries to make then please do contact us.
