the Vencimont mill is running at full speed

It is one of the last working mills in Belgium. Nestled in the heart of the valleys of the Ardennes, a few kilometers from France. For three centuries, the mill of Vencimont (Belgium), which takes its name from this small village, has been running to the rhythm of a river, the Coal, and a small canal between three locks. Seven years ago, Ambroise de Greift was still a lawyer in Luxembourg. He decided to become a miller when he discovered the mill, which had been abandoned since 1974.

More than thirty millers in Belgium

A crazy gamble in the age of industrial flours. In Belgium, there are only about thirty millers left. So Ambroise de Greift surrounded himself with the best of them to learn how to master the locks, the wheels, and select the right cereals. “He’s becoming a master.” rejoices a retired miller. The new miller didn’t just spin the old millstones. “We went to France to look for a lot of parts that were turning in the attics of millers still in activity”, says the former lawyer. Result: the gigantic machine unique in the world cleans crushes then grinds the cereals until obtaining an exceptional flour, white this time.