Back in October 2025 a few of us from the brewery headed over to Warminster Maltings to see how a traditional maltster turns harvested barley into the perfect malt for brewing.
Very simply, the process is the grain is steeped, spread across stone floors, and carefully turned by hand as it germinates, a slow, skilful process that takes real patience. Once ready, it’s dried and gently kilned to develop its flavour and colour, ready for brewing. The smell of the kiln and warmth of the malted grain filling the old building made it feel like stepping back in time.
Warminster is Britain’s oldest working maltings, founded in 1855, and one of the last stand-alone floor-maltings in the world. It was a privilege to see behind the scenes.
In early October we sent down 29 tonnes of barley, grown next to the brewery in Marlow Bottom, for processing, and it’s great to know it’s been through such a historic process. That same malt will go into this year’s Winter Royal and other brews for the rest of the year, adding a bit of local history into every pint.
The malt that was processed was milled and made its way into brews of Winter Royal and other beers at the end of 2025.
So next time you enjoy a beer, take a second to appreciate the malt and the part it plays in every pint.
