Inside Great Ryburgh Maltings | Crisp Malt Open Day 2022

From Barley Field to Maltings

Surrounded by some of the finest malting barley fields in England, our Great Ryburgh is home to one of Crisp Malt’s flagship maltings. This is perhaps the best barley growing region in the world. It’s why our maltings are right in the heart of it.

Here, brewers and distillers can experience every stage of the malting process, from barley selection through to finished malt. They get a real feel for the connection between – and interdependency of – farming, malting, brewing and distilling.

In June, around 60 customers joined us for an Open Day. Chief operating officer, Steve LePoidevin welcomed them, introducing members of the team. Then they were off.

Seeing the Malting Process First-Hand

Groups were taken around the site, stopping to hear about processes taking place at each point – and about the transformation of the grains at each stage. They also went to local fields to stand close to the crops; see the differences between the varieties; and hear about the science behind successful production.

Sharing Knowledge with Brewers and Distillers

The Open Day is not a big sell, it’s about passing on our knowledge and expertise. The more informed craft brewers and distillers are, the better it is for the whole industry. It helps them to make more informed choices; to produce better beer and whisky; and to promote the attributes of their products to drinkers. To put it simply, we just want all our customers to be as passionate about malt as we are!

Colin Johnston, our Sales and Marketing Director.

Seeing the processes up close, talking to the team, and tasting different ‘worts’ made with different malts are all intended to instill in them enthusiasm for malt. The good news is that it seems to work. Whenever we host open days, we get fantastic feedback from participants, and this time was no exception. Personal relationships support sales, but you can’t build relationships if all you do is sell to people. Technical support, education, information, understanding of customers’ needs, and kindness to customers are all crucial parts of the sales mix. Open days really help.

Looking Ahead

Our Open Days continue to bring together brewers, distillers and the Crisp Malt team to share knowledge, explore traditional malting techniques and celebrate the role of high-quality malt in brewing and distilling.