Heritage Varieties

Heritage Varieties

by | Aug 8, 2025 | Hot off the Kiln

Heritage Varieties of Barley. 

It is widely accepted that Heritage Varieties of barley are those introduced to farmers between 1905 and 1965. 1905 is the year of Plumage Archer, the first genetically true variety of barley in the world, bred by E.S.Beaven in Warminster. 1965 is the year of Maris Otter, bred by Dr Bell at The Plant Breeding Institute at Cambridge. Maris Otter is only the third generation of modern English barleys, a direct descendent of Plumage Archer.

All varieties of barley before 1905 are classified as “landrace”, effectively selections from the wild, made randomly by interested parties, mostly farmers. They are very unstable, which challenges their commercial value, and therefore limits them to generously funded specialist projects.

The list of Heritage Varieties could be extended beyond the two aforementioned. The standout variety that’s missing is Proctor, bred directly from Plumage Archer by Dr Bell in 1953. Proctor totally dominated malting barley production from the mid 1950’s to the late 1960’s, to the point that maltsters’ and brewers’ contracts only carried the varietal name if it was not Proctor. But today there is little appetite to re-commercialize Proctor, as Maris Otter is such a close derivative.

For both brewers and distillers, the attraction of both Heritage and “landrace” barleys is their pronounced flavour profile, something that has almost faded away from barleys bred across the last two decades. Conversely, Heritage Varieties are only one, or two steps away from those barleys that 300 years ago gave rise to that famous description of beer “Liquid Bread”. That, I think, says more than I can about barleys then and now.

Robin Appel

Press Release – Landmark Maltings

Press Release – Landmark Maltings

by | Feb 4, 2025 | Hot off the Kiln

Warminster Maltings is celebrating the completion of its
repairs to its Grade 2* Listed malthouses built in 1855. 

200 years ago, many maltings similar to Warminster were commonplace, dotted across the urban and rural landscape, providing one of life’s staples – malt – for local breweries, innkeepers and home brewers in the days when the water was unsafe to drink.

Today, Warminster Maltings is one of only 3 of these traditional maltings left working in England. There are 8 in Scotland, each a part of a long established Whisky Distillery, and there is one in Northern Ireland that has just been rescued from dereliction.

But Warminster is remarkable because it is the only ‘stand alone’ example, totally dependent
on loyal Brewing and Distilling customers for all its malt production.

Warminster Malt sales continue to flourish, because it is widely accepted that malt made the traditional way is superior to the modern methods that drive global malt production. As a result, “floor made” malt commands a premium, sufficient to sustain the Warminster Maltings
business, which maintains a workforce of 20 local men and women. But, Warminster’s is a ‘Landmark Maltings’ in more ways than one.

Landmark 2: The Grade 2* Listed malthouses still retain a unique set of processing features, originally laid down by the notorious Malt Tax that exploited the UK malting industry from 1641 to 1880.

Landmark 3: Back in 1905, the then Maltings proprietor, Edwin Sloper Beaven, bred the first “genetically true” variety of barley in the world, and in doing so, single handed, he completely transformed cereal production across the globe! An honorary doctorate from Cambridge University was among his many awards.

Mindful of all this, the current management of the Maltings is, at last, now proud to announce the completion of an extensive and comprehensive programme of repairs and renewals.

This has taken 24 years to fulfil, all paid for without the aid of grants or other interventions. This investment has been carried out to not only protect the business going forward, but to also preserve the architectural integrity of these respected and historic structures.

The Maltings has often been a location of choice for a number of popular TV and radio programmes but its biggest claim to fame is the quality of its malts.

That these serve brewing and distilling customers, not just across the U.K., but right across the world probably speaks for itself!

For further information,
please contact Lisa Conduit on 01985 212014
or lisa.conduit@warminster-malt.co.uk

Press Release – Landmark Maltings

Landmark maltings

by | Feb 4, 2025 | Hot off the Kiln

Warminster Maltings is celebrating the completion of its repairs to its Grade 2* Listed malthouses built in 1855.

200 years ago, many maltings similar to Warminster were commonplace, dotted across the urban and rural landscape, providing one of life’s staples – malt – for local breweries, innkeepers and home brewers in the days when the water was unsafe to drink.

Today, Warminster Maltings is one of only 3 of these traditional maltings left working in England. There are 8 in Scotland, each a part of a long established Whisky Distillery, and there is one in Northern Ireland that has just been rescued from dereliction.

But Warminster is remarkable because it is the only ‘stand alone’ example, totally dependent
on loyal Brewing and Distilling customers for all its malt production.

Warminster Malt sales continue to flourish, because it is widely accepted that malt made the traditional way is superior to the modern methods that drive global malt production. As a result, “floor made” malt commands a premium, sufficient to sustain the Warminster Maltings
business, which maintains a workforce of 20 local men and women. But, Warminster’s is a ‘Landmark Maltings’ in more ways than one.

Landmark 2: The Grade 2* Listed malthouses still retain a unique set of processing features, originally laid down by the notorious Malt Tax that exploited the UK malting industry from 1641 to 1880.

Landmark 3: Back in 1905, the then Maltings proprietor, Edwin Sloper Beaven, bred the first “genetically true” variety of barley in the world, and in doing so, single handed, he completely transformed cereal production across the globe! An honorary doctorate from Cambridge University was among his many awards.

Mindful of all this, the current management of the Maltings is, at last, now proud to announce the completion of an extensive and comprehensive programme of repairs and renewals.

This has taken 24 years to fulfil, all paid for without the aid of grants or other interventions. This investment has been carried out to not only protect the business going forward, but to also preserve the architectural integrity of these respected and historic structures.

The Maltings has often been a location of choice for a number of popular TV and radio programmes but its biggest claim to fame is the quality of its malts.

That these serve brewing and distilling customers, not just across the U.K., but right across the world probably speaks for itself!

For further information,
please contact Lisa Conduit on 01985 212014
or lisa.conduit@warminster-malt.co.uk