Miller Magazine Issue: 147 March 2022

103 INTERVIEW MILLER / march 2022 now have a special day on which we can all join together in celebrating the flour we love. Employees will gather in many mills and bakeries. They’ll bake and eat together, and invite others to join them. All of this will also be rep- resented in many wonderful ways in digital and classic media, which will further spread the idea. What’s behind the day? How is it filled with life? I see the idea of the holiday as an extension of our commitment with the FlourWorld Museum. The museum and World Flour Day are dedicated to flour and to the millers of the world, expressing our deep appreciation with flour. Each year we create a motto that puts flour into an emotional context with people. Last year, a year of an ongoing worldwide pandemic, the motto was “Flour Heroes”. We collected stories that showed how tireless- ly millers met difficult challenges in order to continue to supply all of us with this vital food. This year, the focus is on the significance of flour for each individual. To me, for example, flour means “family time”, be it baking together or enjoying specialities from different cultures, on holi- days in particular. There are so many different varieties, and so many great recipes to try from around the world. World Flour Day is about that as well. The first World Flour Day was celebrated at the start of the pandemic. This year, the third one will also be under the shadow of Covid. What does the pandemic mean for this holiday? We wanted to celebrate the first World Flour Day in style in our museum. Naturally the start of the pandemic made that impossible. For 2022 we’re hoping to hold a small celebration in the Museum and observe the day together. Right now we don’t know if that will be possi- ble. One thing is very clear: safety and health come first. We’ll celebrate flour one way or the other, online if not in person. Do you have more ideas for the future up your sleeve? Are you planning any new activities? In addition to the “Milling Hall of Fame” initiative, which recognises people in the industry for special achieve- ments, which we now do together and which has found a home in our museum, our focus right now is on further extending the museum. It will soon feature a spectacular new installation which will illuminate another aspect of flour history. It’s something to look forward to!