Brewery links with oldest maltster

Truro-based Skinners Brewery has linked up with Britain’s oldest working maltster in a boost for Cornish barley growers.

Skinners and Warminster Maltings have concluded a deal that will see the Wiltshire firm act as sole supplier of malt, initially for a year, for the Cornish company’s range of ales.

On behalf of Skinners, Warminster will buy spring barley from a selection of Cornish farms to ensure they meet the increased demand of approximately 12 tonnes of malt per week.

“We have been exclusively committed to Cornish barley for most of the company’s 14 years,” said brewery chief executive Steve Skinner. “This arrangement with such a long-established specialist in the field will further strengthen that commitment and is good news for Cornish farmers.

“We are looking at increasing our capacity again over the next two years or so and anticipate demand rising to around 15 tonnes of malt per week, and possibly more, in that period.”

Skinners’ weekly malt usage eight years ago was just two tonnes. It rose to six tonnes by 2006 and has since doubled to its present level.