When they told their friends about the idea, the response was unanimous: “They’re nuts. At this point in life?” That was exactly what Manuela Schedlbauer and Anton Kraus they wanted to listen, because since they were already determined to embark on the adventure, that reaction only confirmed that their project was something different, out of the ordinary, an unthinkable idea in these times.
“You’re right Anton, let’s buy the mill,” Manuela told her partner and today also a partner in Mayal Mill, a family business, in the town of Beccar, where flour is made in the most traditional way possible: from stone-ground whole grains.
Manuela and Anton are German, but they have lived in Argentina for more than thirty years, and they say that one of the reasons that prompted them to get involved in this project was the need -or rather the desire- to knead their own bread with the same raw material which they were used to consuming in Germany, but which was hard to come by locally, was rather a rarity.
Today, in addition to many clients to whom Manuela takes the product to their homes, in a personalized door-to-door delivery, Molino Mayal flours supply the kitchens of well-known bakeries and chefs, such as Francisco Seubert, from Atelier Fuerza; Juan Gaffuri, from the Elena restaurant, at the Four Seasons; the cook Donato de Santis or Narda Lepes.
In Molino Moyal the production is constant and is around 1000 kilos of flour per week
A year of waiting and several headaches
The first stone mill of the family, which cost about $35,000, arrived from Austria to Argentina by boat, in 2012. In 2016, the second arrived, and a third is already on the way. The importation, recalls Manuela, was an odyssey. “We didn’t think everything was going to be so complicated, but in everything we did, an obstacle appeared. First the import, then the procedures at Customs and later, when we wanted to put it into operation, they told us that it was not going to work as it was.” we could fit in. Because the stone mills in Austria and Germany are all made of wood, and that’s how they work, but here they demanded a inner lining in stainless steel. With comings and goings, the mill was stopped for a year. But since then we haven’t stopped anymore”, says Manuela enthusiastically.
And he explains that the recognition of the people, and also of the cooks, came hand in hand with the participation in some of the gastronomic fairsas was Masticar a few years ago and now Mappa -which was held from April 13 to 15-, and which brought together more than 350 producers from all over the country in the Dorrego and Zapiola space, in Colegiales.
At Molino Moyal production is constant, and round the 1000 kilos of flour per week, an average that, according to Anton, exceeds the standards of an artisanal milling job. This manual process has several advantages over other more industrial models. “The stone system does not break the molecular structure of the grain, it has greater hydration compared to other types of grinding and the production, being smaller, is much more careful”details.
elaborate coarse, medium and fine flour of different grains such as wheat, rye, corn and candial. The revelation bean is the spellwhich became the latest sales hit on Mappa, and sold out in a few hours.
They make coarse, medium and fine flours from different grains
What is spelt?
It is an artisan crop, a distant ancestor of wheat, which inhabits the entire Mediterranean basin, and extends to eastern Europe through France, Germany and eastern European countries. As explained in Molino Mayal, it is a grain that did not undergo any genetic alteration.
It differs from common wheat because of its shell, which is difficult to remove and which gives it great resistance to pests and diseases.. For this reason, says Manuela, it is a cereal that usually comes from small agricultural exports and adapts very well to the ecological agriculture.
“Since the mill arrived, Antón had a fixed idea of spelt. It is about 8,000 years old and nutritionally it is fabulous. It contains essential amino acids, a high fiber content and omega fatty acids. It is an easily digestible cereal and highly recommended to regulate the intestinal transit -describes Manuela, who before the arrival of the mill worked full time in film production and advertising-.The flour we make comes from the ground whole grain, it is not a mixture of bran with refined flours. But it is not suitable for coeliacs because it contains gluten”, he adds.
is eaten in pasta, soups and risottosand Manuela confesses that importing the seed from Europe was also a great challenge: “It was not on the food list in Argentina, so it was very difficult to introduce the seed to the country to grow it. It took us almost nine years to complete the project, and when finally we had the seed available to sow when the drought came last year. We looked for different places to find out, climatically, which one was suitable. One was a small town in Córdoba, where not a single weed grew, and the other in Coronel Suárez, in the Province of Buenos Aires, where we were able to harvest. Finally, we presented our ‘baby’ at Mappa, and it was a complete success. It sold out.”
Today people talk about Molino Mayal on social networks, something unthinkable a decade ago
Behind a great chef… there is a great producer
Working in pairs with some of the most renowned chefs in the country is an invaluable boost, Manuela acknowledges. “that the boys of Atelier Strength make bread with our flour and tell people that now there is one more grain like spelt, it is a great support for us. She made us grow”, acknowledges the entrepreneur, and she recounts that, at the beginning, when no one knew them yet, her children went from store to store and offered flour to neighborhood merchants.
“We didn’t even sell to ‘Montoto’, because nobody knew what we were doing or knew about our product. So, everything was very nice but nothing happened,” insists Manuela.
Today, he says with astonishment, people talk about Molino Mayal on social networks, something unthinkable a decade ago, when the idea crossed his mind. “My daughter told me that she had to sell flour on Instagram. ‘Yes mom, on Instagram’. It all seemed crazy, but here we are, about to import the third mill, loading bags of flour and receiving more and more orders from people”, sums up Manuela.
And he reveals that one of the tasks he enjoys the most is casting: “It’s as if Santa Claus had arrived, because the neighbors welcome me into their homes and invite me in. They invite me with a mate, a coffee, a bill. The warmth of the people is something we love about this beautiful country.“.
