Mill-It Press Release and Launch Event
Major New UK Research Project to Explore Proso Millet as a Sustainable Spring Break Crop
A major new Defra and Innovate UK funded research project will launch on 23 June 2026 to investigate whether proso millet could become a sustainable, climate-resilient spring break crop for UK agriculture. The project brings together farmers, scientists, food specialists and award-winning chef Dev Biswal to explore the grain's potential as a profitable UK-grown food crop.
Known as The Mill-it Project, the initiative aims to establish millet as a viable UK-grown grain for human consumption, creating new opportunities for arable farmers and responding to a demand for nutritious, gluten-free and environmentally sustainable crops.
The project is being led by Emma Loder-Symonds at Nonington Farms in Kent, in partnership with NIAB, SoyaUK, The Cook’s Tale Restaurant and a wider consortium of farming specialists Edworth Manor Farm and Hawk Mill Farms.
Although already grown on a small scale in the UK as bird seed, millet’s potential as a high-value human food crop has remained largely unexplored. The project will include field-scale trials in Kent and Bedfordshire, nutritional analysis, pre-processing research and recipe development led by award-winning chef Dev Biswal, founder of The Cook’s Tale.
As climate pressures increase and arable growers seek alternatives to traditional break crops such as oilseed rape, the project aims to provide the first robust scientific and commercial assessment of millet’s role in UK food and farming systems.
The Mill-it Project leader, Emma Loder-Symonds said: “We are excited to explore the potential of millet as a food crop in the UK. Working alongside scientists and farmers across the country we will trial how millet could fit into British rotations and food systems, and investigate how processing and fermentation may improve its nutritional value.
“Millet grains are naturally gluten-free and there’s growing interest in fermented food and gut health. Together with chef Dev Biswal, we will explore how millets can be used in a range of different food products and recipes.”
Further project announcements will follow throughout 2026 and 2027.
