Whole grain Irish soda bread? Yes! It’s now available (along with several other whole grain products), with the Whole Grain Stamp, from Kells Wholemeal in Bennettsbridge, County Kilkenny, Ireland.

And they’re not just making the bread mix to sell to bakeries, Kells is also providing educational leaflets, door stickers and a slew of other promotional materials to help raise public awareness of the benefits of eating more whole grain every day.

That’s Bill and Robert Mosse in the photo, proudly showing off some of their whole grain breads. The Mosses, whose family founded Kells in 1840, run the oldest mill in Ireland. Bill represents the sixth generation to work in the family milling business, and Robert the seventh. Here’s the whole story, in an article from the May 15, 2009 edition of Kilkenny People:

Whole Lot of Quality at Kells Wholemeal

BENNETTSBRIDGE-based grain producer, Kells Wholemeal, which runs the oldest mill in Ireland, has put its traditional methods to good use and rolled into the 21st Century by obtaining a rare stamp of quality.

The company, which has been trading since 1840 and remains in the hands of its orginal founders, the Mosse family, was recently awarded the official Whole Grain Stamp by the American Whole Grains Council, making it one of the only first companies in Ireland to be bestowed with the stamp.

The stamp is a mark of quality and gives a guarantee to the customer to all Kells Wholemeal products are made with 100% whole grain — something that is becoming increasingly important in the 21st century, according to operations manager, Robert Mosse.

“Consumers have become increasingly health conscious and we are constantly updating our products to reflect this,” Robert said. “In recent years we have hugely expanded our range of seeds like linseed and pumpkin and our promotional packs for artisan bakeries will highlight to consumers the health benefits of eating whole grains and we think this will help more customers to choose these healthier products from their local bakers.”

Robert represents the seventh generation of Mosses to mill in Bennettsbridge and his father, Bill, the managing director, is part of the sixth. “We’re a very hands on family,” Bill laughed, adding that the stamp had been given to two Kells Wholemeal products — a yeasted brown bread and a traditional soda bread.

“This recognition gives a stamp of authenticity to our products and it confirms what we’ve been saying about them all along,” he said. “It’s fantastic that we’ve been recognised for the quality of the products, because it wasn’t easy to obtain.”
Bill said it took about six months from first applying for the Stamp to finally receiving it.

“We wanted something to help promote our products and to set us apart, but the main reason this was so important to us was that we’re so committed to creating authentic produce,” he said.
“We feel it’s hugely important that people can identify where their food came from and that customers are starting to care more about food in general.

“The Stamp is a reassurance to the consumer that our products are authentic and the challenge for us was to meet the strict criteria of the Council while making the bread as tasty as possible. We went through a lengthy process in our test bakery to achieve the correct taste and we’re very happy with the end result.”

The health benefits associated with wholegrains are wide and varied and include lowering the risk of many diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, stomach and bowel cancer.

Nutritionists recommend that people eat three servings of wholegrains a day and say that most people don’t eat enough.

The Whole Grain Stamp was designed to regulate and certify whole grain products and make them easier to find.
by Laura Keys