Profile: Alyanna Tan, Miller at Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre

PROFILE: ALYANNA TAN, MILLER AT AUSTRALIAN EXPORT GRAINS INNOVATION CENTRE

Alyanna Tan’s path into the milling industry began with curiosity and a willingness to try something new. With a degree in agriculture – she originally thought she’d use it to become a veterinarian – and an early interest in food security, she joined the Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre (AEGIC) in 2022 as a graduate trainee. Today, she continues to grow her milling skills within her team and its facilities.

AEGIC, where Alyanna is based, is an independent organisation focused on supporting the Australian grains industry. It works across the supply chain to better understand customer needs, identify new market opportunities, and share the benefits of Australian grain through education and tailored support.

“I had no background in milling whatsoever,” she said. “But I had the drive to learn, and AEGIC saw that. They took a chance on me and that’s one of the things I appreciate most about my company.”

Alyanna is continuing to expand her knowledge through the UK Flour Millers’ Distance Learning Programme (DLP). Alyanna also credits the DLP with helping her gain not only technical knowledge, but also the confidence to step into the milling world. From the early modules to the latest one she just completed (module 6), she values the programme’s flexibility, clear structure, and supportive mentoring. “We’re the TikTok generation and it seems like everyone these days has a different attention span,” she shared. “I’m very excited about the fact that Steve [Faerber, Training Manager at UK Flour Millers] mentioned, when I met him, the bite-sized learning. It’s like you’re scrolling through your phone or playing a game in the Virtual Mill.”

In Australia and Oceania, the DLP is supported by the Australian Technical Millers Association (ATMA), and part of this support includes awards for the region’s DLP students. Alyanna’s dedication to her studies recently led to a standout moment. At a national ATMA conference in May where Steve was in attendance, Alyanna was presented with the ATMA Jack Walsh Intermediate Award for her efforts in the UK Flour Millers courses, recognising her drive and career growth. “I thought my supervisor was joking when he told me,” she laughed. “It was April 1^st and would have been a mean April Fool’s prank! But it was real and made me reflect on how far I’ve come. It was validating.”

Looking ahead, Alyanna hopes to share her knowledge with others, especially newcomers who, like her, may not have considered milling as a career. For Alyanna, milling, and ATMA’s connection to UK Flour Millers through the DLP has done more than support her career; it helped her discover her place in the industry.

About UK Flour Millers:

UK Flour Millers is the trade body for the UK flour milling industry. The association supports members by facilitating reliable, sustainable, and affordable supplies of wheat, providing training, promoting good practices in health and safety, advocating for the industry, and shaping and supporting long-term research and development. The organisation speaks on behalf of their members to government, policy makers, the media, consumers, and other stakeholders.

Notes to readers:

As part of the Distance Learning Programme, each year, UK Flour Millers runs seven modular courses to provide flour millers, employees of all job types at flour mills, and other industry players in the UK and overseas with an essential understanding and underpinning knowledge of the milling sector. Australian Technical Millers Association and its members, including, Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre, participate in the DLP, are valued partners in bolstering the industry worldwide.

Registration for the 2025-2026 session is open June-August 2025. Please go to our training website to learn more and enrol.