Nantwich Museum has received a cash boost from major South Cheshire employer Mornflake who are celebrating a milestone 350th anniversary.
The Pillory Street museum has welcomed a £350 donation from the breakfast company which has pledged to give back to the community and support specially selected charities throughout 2025.
The family milling business founded in 1675 is also sending breakfasts to schools and planting trees – the first was a well-established oak planted on land near its Gresty Road mill.
Managing director James Lea said: “This is a very special year for us and we want to make it a memorable one, supporting the community where we live and work.
“Nantwich Museum works hard to share the rich history of Nantwich and plays a vital role in the town economy by attracting many visitors.
“There’s a certain synergy with what we do as a family company to promote the Cheshire heritage story so we were delighted to make the museum a recipient of a Mornflake Mighty Oats 350th anniversary donation.”
Nantwich Museum, founded in 1980 in a Victorian library, tells the history of Nantwich from Roman times to present day with displays and artefacts.
In 2024 footfall was more than 20,000 and hundreds more children visiting on school tours.
Last year ended on a high for the town attraction. It scooped the prestigious South Cheshire Chamber ‘Ambassador of the Year’ award for putting the area on the map for excellence.
The museum continues to rely on donations however and the support of 100 volunteers who greet visitors, organise exhibitions and man the gift shop.
Manager Kate Dobson said: “We’re over the moon with the Mornflake donation. It’s a local business steeped in history and highly regarded as a local employer.
“The current economic climate makes it hard for charities to gain support so the donation is very much appreciated.”
The Mornflake story spans centuries of the Lea family starting with William Lea who began milling oats at Swettenham Mill, South Cheshire in 1675 – nine years after the Great Fire of London.
The firm runs the oldest manufacturing site in Crewe employing over 300 people and celebrates its local roots with its Crewe headquarters on the packaging of breakfast products shipped worldwide.
Those famous oats will now also be enjoyed by visitors to Nantwich Museum’s monthly coffee mornings.
Its volunteer bakers were delighted to hear of a bonus donation – a large quantity of Mornflake oats which can be used in their cake recipes.
Charities and organisations wishing to be considered for a donation are asked to write to [email protected]
For more on Mornflake heritage and recipes with oats go to mornflake.com
For upcoming museum events and exhibitions go to nantwichmuseum.org.uk
Recent Comments