End-use groups and specifications for milling wheat

UK wheat varieties are allocated to end-use quality groups to indicate their potential suitability for various markets. Learn about the group specifications and how you can meet them.

In the Recommended Lists for cereals and oilseeds (RL), wheat varieties are categorised within four groups based on their potential to meet the minimum specifications for key quality parameters for various end-use markets.

UKFM Group 1 (19%): Bread-making varieties that demonstrate consistent milling and baking performance. These produce the highest-protein flours and command the highest premiums. Group 1 wheats tend to yield lower than varieties from other groups (protein content can be ‘diluted’ by higher yields).

UKFM Group 2 (17%): Varieties with bread-making potential that are not suitable for all baking systems.

Group 1 and 2 varieties are hard wheats that give relatively free-flowing flour of high water-holding capacity (compared to soft wheats).

UKFM Group 3 (7%): Varieties with a unique grain protein quality needed to produce a range of flour types and products, such as biscuits and cakes. These are often ‘softer’ winter wheats with the lowest protein content out of the three UKFM groups.

Group 4 (53%): Varieties not categorised by a UKFM group. These are mainly associated with feed varieties, although some may have a specific use in some flours or for distilling.

The bracketed figures indicate the percentage of the total GB wheat area in each group, according to the 2025 AHDB Planting and Variety Survey.

Notes:

• As each variety has specific attributes, they are not necessarily interchangeable (even within groups)
• Segregating grain in storage by variety (as well as quality) makes trading easier
• Mills may test for varietal purity, usually with a tolerance of 98% (i.e. 49 out of 50 grains need to be the variety specified)

Table 1. Typical minimum specifications for domestic UK milling wheat

Note: Contractual specifications may vary between milling companies.

A minimum protein content is required by millers to maintain flour quality.

Protein content is directly related directly to grain nitrogen and influenced by variety, weather and crop management.

Standard grain contracts often include a specification of grain nitrogen percentage, in addition to protein percentage (both on a dry-matter basis).

Although protein quality is important, varietal contribution is poorly understood, which is why specifications are based on protein quantity.

Gluten is the major protein, although other proteins also influence the overall quality.

• For bread making, a strong flour is required to retain fermentation gasses and produce well-risen bread
• For biscuit making, the gluten needs to be relatively extensible, so it can be stretched without retracting

Specific weight is affected by grain size, grain density and grain packing characteristics.

It indicates the weight of grain that can be loaded onto lorries or ships (measured as kg/hl) and is also an important quality characteristic.

It is influenced by variety and weather-related factors, such as drought and sunlight, as well as crop nutrition and disease levels.

HFN reflects the gelling properties of flour made from whole grain.

It's a measure of hot-paste viscosity, expressed as the number of seconds (s) taken for a plunger to fall through a wholemeal water suspension.

Lower viscosity results from starch breakdown by alpha-amylase – an enzyme associated with germination initiation (and sprouting).

Alpha-amylase levels are mainly influenced by the variety and the weather, typically increasing when:

• It is cool and wet during ripening
• Green grains are present on late tillers
• Crops are lodged
• Grains are damaged by pests (e.g. by orange blossom midge)
• Harvest is delayed

Food safety risk increases in grain with a high moisture content (MC), especially above 18% MC.

Grain dryers can reduce levels to the 15% MC specification, but it is important to avoid overheating, because it can damage protein and impact grain quality.

Some millers may accept grain with MC above the specification in wet harvest years, subject to agreement.

Grain admixture includes unwanted non-cereal physical matter (impurities), such as weed seeds, chaff, straw and stones.

Screenings include broken and shrivelled grains.

The maximum combined level for admixture and screenings is usually 3% (by weight).

Other physical, as well as biological and chemical hazards, can contaminate grain.

Our export classifications help buyers understand the potential of UK varieties to meet the requirements of overseas markets.

These include the same grain quality characteristics as the UKFM groups (although the specification values differ).

Additionally, they provide specifications for W and P/L values (associated with dough quality) determined by a Chopin Alveograph.

The proportion of commercial grain samples (based on several thousand samples) that meet the typical domestic specifications for specific weight, HFN and protein content are published in the annual AHDB Cereal Quality Survey.

Although there is significant seasonal variability, most samples do not meet all three specifications.

In 2025, almost half of the samples met all three specifications (47%).

This harvest year followed a very dry spring and summer, which generally reduced yields with minimal impact on nitrogen transport to the grain. This led to a particularly strong protein performance (with 69% of samples hitting this specification).

In 2023, very few samples met all three specifications (13%).

It was a generally wet harvest, which contributed to relatively low HFN and specific weights. Protein levels were also low. This cropping year was also associated with high nitrogen fertiliser costs and some fertiliser supply issues.

In 2023, nitrogen rates to GB milling wheat were below the over-year average (2019–2024), based on data from the British Survey of Fertiliser practice.

Flour millers require specific varieties to blend the wheat batches (gristing) needed to produce hundreds of flour types for different end uses.

Always speak to merchants before committing to varieties and markets.

The grain contract will detail all relevant specifications and requirements, which will extend beyond those cited on this page.

Contracts also often include discount scales (fallbacks) for grain that does not meet the required specifications.

By understanding and meeting contract terms, you will minimise the risk of expensive haulage charges (resulting from rejection or redirection).

All domestic wheat used by UK millers is grown within an appropriate assurance scheme, which cites the standards growers must meet, in terms of good farming practice, storage, food safety and environmental protection.

There are three principal assurance schemes:

• Red Tractor Combinable Crops and Sugar Beet Assurance Scheme

• Scottish Quality Crops (SQS)

• Trade Assurance Scheme for Combinable Crops (TASCC), which covers grain haulage and off-farm storage

In a typical year, about 15% of the wheat used by UK flour millers is imported to blend with domestic wheat to create flours with specific functionalities.  

Imported wheat is generally more expensive than home-grown wheat, so millers aim to maximise usage of domestic wheat, providing it meets quality requirements.