Time to hail ‘secret’ winner, the malt industry
By: JimOldfield
May 10th, 2012
Britain is the third largest producer of malt in the world – and yet some people working in our pub and brewing industry don’t even know what it is!
That’s what the chairman of the country’s maltsters revealed to the Food and Agriculture Minister this month, at a meeting to discuss raising the profile of this massive contributor to our economy.
Euan Macpherson, managing director of Crisp Maltings and chairman of Maltsters Association of Great Britain, met Minister James Paice at Westminster’s DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) HQ, to highlight the importance of the industry to farmers, distillers, brewers, the pub industry and thus the nation’s economy.
Mr Macpherson revealed that there is a high level of ignorance about what malt actually is – including among workers in the pub and beer industry!
He said: “Given that malted barley is the main ingredient for beer and whisky, our national drinks, and is therefore absolutely crucial to the pub trade, it’s strange that people give it so little thought.
“Britain is the third largest producer of malt, supplying the world’s biggest brewers as well as the micro, regional and national brewers across our own country.
“The Grain to Glass campaign was a start in terms of improving the low levels of knowledge, but there’s still a job to be done in increasing the appreciation of malt as a natural wholesome ingredient and as a contributor to the economy.”
Minister Mr Paice said he would support spreading the word about Britain’s malt and its producers, both nationally and globally.
He added: “British beer and whisky is already known the world over for its exceptional quality, but many people don’t know that we’re also one of the world’s largest exporters of their most important ingredient – malt.
“With rising global demand for food and drink, Britain’s producers have huge opportunities for growth, and I applaud the malting industry’s positive impact on our economy, both on a local and national level.”
Crisp Maltings alone produces more than a quarter of a million tonnes of top quality malt annually, and Mr Macpherson said: “In addition to all the direct employment created by the maltings industry, often in rural areas, we enable a further 70,000 jobs in brewing and 10,000 jobs in distilling, let alone all those in pubs that rely on the sales of beer and whisky.
“It is no exaggeration to say that the maltings industry underpins billions of pounds worth of economic activity.
“It’s encouraging that the Minister sees the great maltings of Britain as part of a much bigger food drink and hospitality picture; that he is focused on the direct and indirect employment they provide, particularly in rural areas; and that he is keen to support our domestic activity and our export efforts.”
To find out exactly what malt is and does for us, visit the Maltsters’ Association of Great Britain (MAGB) website below.
Hand-Pumped links:
www.ukmalt.com
