Maris Otter Barley

Maris Otter barley has been grown in England for more than 40 years. The variety was bred by Dr G.D.H.Bell and his team of plant breeders at Cambridge, from a remit laid down in the mid 1950s. By crossing the then established malting barley variety Proctor* with another variety Pioneer, Maris Otter was bred to brew traditional cask conditioned ales, the mainstay of the then flourishing and comprehensive regional brewing network.

Today, all Maris Otter crops are grown under contract from new seed, nurtured over the previous two years to ensure exacting standards of purity and quality. Growers of the commercial malt are carefully selected for their experience, soil type, and harvest logistics. The supply chain is managed to ensure that auditing is continuous from delivery of seed to the farm, to delivery of malt to the brewery. Nothing is left to chance beyond the weather.

Maris Otter malt is available to all brewers, however big or small, and formalised arrangements can command a ‘tailor-made’ supply of malt to enhance the image of the brewing cutomer, eg Dorset barley for Dorset beer! With the established support of CAMRA and recognition of its true worth by the major brewers, who now name it on the label, Maris Otter is widely acknowledged right across the brewing world as The Finest Brewing Malt in the World.

* Proctor was bred in 1952 by crossing Plumage Archer with the Danish variety Kenia. Plumage Archer was the first genetically true variety of English barley bred in 1905 by Dr E.S.Beaven, then proprietor of Warminster Maltings.

DOWNLOAD Barley Crop Report 2006

DOWNLOAD Barley Crop Report 2005 (PDF 60K)