It’s hard to do justice to a working life in a few pages of type. Particularly if it is as full as that of Crisp Malt’s just-retired Chief Operating Officer, Steve LePoidevin.
Alien to Parents
The first steps of a career that saw him rise to a top job in the malting industry did not bode well. Both his parents were teachers, so Steve’s wish to follow a hands-on education in agriculture – rather than to go down an academic route – was alien to them.
Actually, going to Agricultural College meant that alongside the practical experience of working on farms (including, to his delight, driving tractors), he did have to study.
After graduation, he faced a dilemma. He liked farms and farming. He also liked beer, and assumed he’d like brewing.
“Farming? Brewing? Which way to go? Hard choice,” says Steve.
“Luckily, there’s an industry that’s inextricably linked with both those worlds. And with distilling too. It is, of course, malting.”
Getting Going in Malting
So it was that Steve began work as a production trainee at Paul’s Malt in Ipswich in 1988. His potential as a ferret was soon recognised.
He became known as The Ferret for his seemingly constant quest to flush out – and solve – problems. The coming years saw him in various roles at Wallingford in Oxfordshire; Buckie on the Moray Firth coast of Scotland; Gainsborough in Lincolnshire; Kentford in Suffolk and Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk.
Part of Steve’s role in operations in Gainsborough had involved putting in a computer system (all the rage in the 1990s), and with this new-fangled tech being hailed a success, he was invited to work in central planning. He took on responsibility for barley management, and became commercial manager for the company, which by then was owned by Greencore.
Have Malt, Will Travel
The excitement in Steve’s voice can still be heard when he reflects on his first business trip abroad. It was in early 2000.
“One of the directors called and asked me if I had a passport. I had. He said, ‘Good. You need to meet a customer from Cameroon tomorrow – in Monaco.” From a helicopter transfer, we ended up right by the start-finish point of the Grand Prix Circuit. It was in the process of construction for the following weekend!”
No matter, there were no cars going round it. The mere fact of being so close to the hallowed turf leaves Steve awe-struck – even quarter of a century later!
Travel has been part of his working life ever since. The need to visit far flung corners of the world only grew when he joined Crisp as Sales Director in 2012. Many years, he’s been away from home with work more often than he’s been at home.
Lure of Japan
“It’s hard to pinpoint best trips, when they have all been so interesting.,” he mulls. “If forced to choose, I’d say the visits to Japan have been real highlights for me. I love how polite, well disciplined and friendly people are, what a beautiful country it is – and what fabulous beers and whiskies they produce!
“Japanese brewers and distillers are highly focused on quality; are assiduously careful about their ingredients; and appreciate good service. Crisp has built long-standing relationships as suppliers, and I have built friendships that will no doubt last beyond retirement.”
Accelerating Sustainability
Technological developments have clearly made their mark since Steve first set foot in the malting industry. But he says most notable in the worlds of farming, malting, brewing and distilling has been the drive for sustainability.
“With the ever-worsening climate crisis and introduction of net zero targets, sustainability is no longer a niche aspiration for a handful of small players. It’s the critical underpinning of strategies and plans of farms and businesses across the beer and whisky supply chain.”
As he points out, there are few easy wins in the grain-to-glass chain. Machinery for farming, processing and packaging is energy intensive, and the weight of raw materials, ingredients and finished products makes haulage very fuel intensive.
“But by working together, we can make great inroads,” he says. “And of course, here at our sites in Norfolk, and Scotland, we have the advantage of being located right in the heart of Britain’s best barley-growing areas.
Significant investment is being made by Crisp Malt at their Portgordon Maltings to reduce the environmental impact of production per tonne of malt.
“Richardson International acquired Crisp and our sister companies in 2023, and already the benefits are coming through. The plans for Portgordon are really exciting from a sustainability perspective – and are being warmly welcomed by the country’s farmers and distillers,” says Steve.
Career Highlights
Highlights of his career include the acquisition of maltings in Bydgoszcz, Poland and Hamburg, Germany in 2016; acting as interim Managing Director of Crisp from 2021 to 2022; welcoming Richardson to the world of malting in 2023; and – somewhat more frequently – having a beer with suppliers, colleagues and customers.
Greatest Challenge
He says the biggest challenge was the perfect storm of the pandemic, Brexit, rocketing energy prices and then the war in Ukraine – and their various repercussions.
“It was really tough. But we came through it. The company ethos definitely helped. We share knowledge, work hard, deliver results, look after the long-term, and have some fun along the way. Even when that had to be on Zoom!
Joys of the Job
“During my time at Crisp, I’ve had the opportunity to develop and use my skills, and the good fortune to make friends with people from countries across the world.”
Advice to Others
Asked for his advice to those entering the malting industry, Steve says, “If you don’t enjoy it, find something else to do. If you do enjoy it, stay for two years, and you’ll be in it for decades!
“Never stop developing your technical knowledge and skills. Be generous: share what you know. Be patient. It takes 30 years to get 30 years of experience. Work hard; be curious; keep ferreting; keep learning; keep enjoying.”
Happy retirement!
Neil Banbury, Managing Director, says, “It would be hard to overestimate Steve’s knowledge of; excitement about; and passion for malt and the malting industry. His achievements over the years have been numerous . So dedicated has he been that his journey is better described as a vocation than a career.
“It is indeed hard to do justice to his contribution in a few words. Perhaps, “thank you Steve: you’ll be missed,” is all that is needed.”
From all of us at Crisp Malt, happy retirement – you will be missed.
