- Base Malts
- Highly Kilned
- Roasted
THE HEART OF UNITED KINGDOM’S WHISKIES AND BEERS
About Bairds Malt
United Kingdom | Founded in 1823
Bairds Malt carries forward two centuries of UK malting heritage, founded on the understanding that exceptional whisky and beer begin with exceptional malt. Partnering with over 800 UK farmers through Scotgrain Agriculture, our in-house barley merchanting organisation, Bairds Malt secures a consistent supply of quality barley, a product of the unique terroir and climate of the United Kingdom’s Eastern Seaboard. These precious ingredients are malted to realise renowned single malt whiskies, while our Maris Otter delivers the essential biscuity and sweet notes for authentic British ales. By combining time-honoured malting traditions with modern innovation, we provide distillers and brewers globally with high-quality UK malts, celebrated for their superior quality.
Quality that begins in the field
Bairds Malt and Scotgrain Agriculture are uniquely connected to deliver a fully integrated barley supply chain, linking growers directly with brewers and distillers at home and around the world. By combining agronomy expertise, long-term grower relationships, rigorous variety trials, and end-to-end quality control, we ensure a consistent supply of high-quality, sustainable malting barley.
This close partnership creates greater security for growers, improved consistency for customers, and meaningful progress on sustainability.
Our
story
Bairds Malt’s history runs alongside the development of British beer and Scotch whisky. Over generations, the brand has supported producers working across a broad spectrum of brewing and distilling traditions, adapting to evolving techniques while maintaining a consistent focus on reliability and performance.
1823
Brothers Frank and Hugh Baird establish the Great Canal Brewery in Glasgow, laying the foundations of Bairds as brewer-maltsters.
1832
Malting operations expand at Springbank, enabling Bairds to supply quality malt beyond the family brewery.
1837
Bairds is awarded a Royal Warrant, supplying malt to brewers and distillers and producing Scotland’s first roasted malts.
1878
The second generation takes ownership, expanding malting capacity to support growing brewing and distilling demand.
Early 1900s
Pneumatic malting is introduced, strengthening Bairds’ role in the expanding Scotch whisky industry.
1960s
Operations consolidate at modern malting sites in Pencaitland (Scotland) and Witham (England), with roasting established at Witham.
2010
A new state-of-the-art malting plant is commissioned at Arbroath, the first built in Scotland for over 25 years.
2020
Project Angel begins, marking a new phase of investment in Scottish malting capacity.
2021
Clova malting refurbishment completed, increasing capacity by 22,000 tonnes per annum.
2023
Project Angel is completed with the opening of the Inverness maltings, as Bairds celebrates 200 years of malting heritage.
Our malts
Bairds Malt offers over 40 different types of malt ranging from heritage malts to new and exciting experimental grains. A comprehensive portfolio of malted barley products is designed to meet the functional and sensory requirements of both brewers and distillers.
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Brewing malts
For brewers, dependable extract, predictable attenuation and clean flavour profiles support a wide range of beer styles. Speciality and roasted malts allow brewers to build complexity and character while maintaining process control.
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Distilling malts
For distillers, malt solutions are designed for reliable performance across different production scales. Consistent malt quality supports stable fermentations and efficient alcohol production, helping distillers manage yield and quality with confidence.
Discover our range of malts
Discover our range of distilling malts
Our malts for distilling are specially developed to meet the unique needs of distillers. Using 2-row Spring barley we ensure our distilling malt gives maximum spirit yield at the distillery. Many world-famous Scotch whiskies have all come from using Bairds Malt, delivering quality and consistency for over 200 years.
Pot still malt
Used traditionally for single malt pot still whisky, this two-row spring malting barley has a low protein content to deliver high extract and fermentability which combine to provide the optimal level of spirit yield per tonne of malt. It delivers strong fermentability performance and high alcohol production while preserving a clean, crisp, fresh spirit character. It the ideal choice for craft distillers producing high-quality whisky and other distilled spirits.
Our certifications
Quality and consistency are at the heart of Bairds Malt operations. Rigorous analytical controls, clearly defined specifications and continuous process monitoring help ensure reliable malt performance from batch to batch. Operating within established global quality frameworks, Bairds Malt delivers the consistency and assurance customers expect across brewing and distilling applications.
- Members of the Maltsters Association of Great Britain
- FEMAS – Feed Material Assurance scheme verifies our compliance to animal feed safety standards
- ORGANIC soil association at our Inverness Maltings
- ISO 9001:2015, 45001:2018, 14001:2015, 50001 within 12 months
- AEO
- SEDEX
- COOL FARM
- SAI PLATFORM
How to buy
Bairds Malt supports customers across multiple regions and production scales. Supply options include bagged and palletised malt and bulk deliveries which are supported by flexible logistics solutions.
Contact Bairds Malt
Your sales
contact
Adrian Dyter
Director of Commercial Sales
adyter@souffletbairdsmalt.co.uk
+44 (0) 7918 673340
Your sales
contact
Henry Smith
Brewing Sales Manager
hsmith@souffletbairdsmalt.co.uk
+44 (0) 7971 658 911
Your sales
contact
Colin Gordon
Distilling Sales Manager
cgordon@souffletbairdsmalt.co.uk
+44 (0) 7929 780465
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Heritage brands
Each distinct, high-quality malt in this collection embodies the unique terroir and cultural heritage of its origin.
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Great Western Malting
The spirit of American malting for modern craft pioneers.