THE FINEST AUSTRALIAN MALT FOR OVER 150 YEARS

About Barrett Burston Malting

Australia | Founded in 1820

Barrett Burston Malting, with roots tracing to the 1820s, leads Australian malt production, supplying premium malt for over 150 years. This legacy, including continuous family ties with original founders and close partnerships with local growers, underscores our commitment to Australian malting. Throughout the years, Barrett Burston has stood at the heart of Australian malting, having supported the creation of iconic local breweries and is still the sole domestic producer of the characteristic malt for the Australian Extra Pale Ale. Blending craftsmanship with innovation, we transform high-quality Australian barley into world-class malt, providing you with the core ingredients to craft your signature beverages.

100% Australian barley

Barrett Burston remains closely connected to its agricultural heritage and the local grain growers who make its malt possible. It sources top grade barley from farms across Australia. This strong partnership with growers enables Barrett Burston to maintain consistent quality and deliver malts that reflect Australia’s unique terroir.

Barrett Burston partners with brewers, distillers, and food manufacturers around the world, working closely with customers to ensure each malt delivers the desired flavour profile, performance, and consistency. All Barrett Burston malts are proudly produced from 100% Australian barley, reflecting the company’s commitment to quality, provenance, and long standing relationships throughout the supply chain.

Our
Story

1820

William Barrett begins malting operations in Banbury, England – This is the founding of the Barrett malting lineage that would make it’s way over to Australia.

1862

Samuel Burston establishes malting operations in Melbourne, Victoria – This is founding of the Burston malting business in Australia.

1884

William Barrett relocates to Victoria, Australia and establishes a malthouse in Richmond – This is significant as it is the start of Barrett operations in Australia and begins a rivalry between the Barretts and the Burstons.

1912

Merger of Barrett Bros. and Burston businesses – A landmark date as this is the formation of Barrett Bros. & Burston & Co. Pty Ltd and the official founding of the combined company that will later be known simply as Barrett Burston Malting

1978

Perth maltings in Welshpool commissioned. The maltings has an annual production capacity of 50,000 tonnes & on-site malt storage of 12,000 tonnes.

1985

Victorian maltings in Geelong commissioned. The maltings has an annual production of 100,000 tonnes of malt & on-site malt storage of 6000 tonnes.

1995

ConAgra Foods and Tiger Brands acquire Barrett Burston and bring them into their malt group.

2006

Private equity firms Castle Harlan and CHAMP buy the malt group from ConAgra and form United Malt Holdings (UMH)

2009

GrainCorp purchases United Malt Holdings.

2011

Queensland maltings in Pinkenba commissioned. The maltings has a batch size of 360 tonnes & on-site malt storage of 5000 tonnes.

2017

Barrett Burston Malting purchases distributor Cryer Malt. A partnership that strengthens their ability to service the Asia Pacific region.

2020

United Malt Group demerges from GrainCorp to become one of the world’s largest producers and distributors of malt.

2023

United Malt Group is acquired by InVivo Group's subsidiary Malteries Soufflet. This is substantial as it means Barrett Burston Malting is now part of world's largest malting company, which today is known as Soufflet Malt.

Our malts

Australian Grown Malt for Brewing and Distilling

Barrett Burston Malting offers a comprehensive range of base malts, specialty malts, and brewing grains designed to meet the needs of brewers, distillers, and food manufacturers across Australia and around the world.

Their malts are known for their consistent performance, balanced flavour profiles, and reliable brewhouse efficiency, making them suitable for a wide range of beer styles and distilling applications. Drawing on the diversity of Australian barley varieties and decades of malting expertise, Barrett Burston provides flexibility for both traditional brewing methods and modern product development.

In addition to core base malts, Barrett Burston produces a broad selection of specialty malts, roasted malts and distilling malts, allowing brewers and distillers to build complexity in colour, flavour, and mouthfeel. These malts are crafted to deliver consistency at scale while enabling creativity and innovation.

Backed by modern malting facilities and strong partnerships with Australian growers, Barrett Burston maintains full control across the supply chain. This ensures dependable quality, and the ability to support customers with tailored solutions to meet their specific production and recipe requirements.

base malts

Pale Malt
Ale Malt
Wheat
Vienna
Munich
Dark Munich
Australian Extra Pale
Distilling Malt
Non-GN Distilling Malt (Laureate)

Download Barrett Burston Catalogue

Our certifications

With three modern malting facilities across Australia, located in Geelong (VIC), Pinkenba (QLD), and Welshpool (WA), Barrett Burston is uniquely positioned to supply customers both domestically and internationally. These plants utilise precision-controlled processes and advanced quality systems to produce consistent, premium malts at scale.

To ensure consistent quality and alignment with global industry standards, Barrett Burston Malting operates under internationally recognised quality and management systems. Our facilities are certified to ISO 9001 (Quality Management), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management), and ISO 45001 (Occupational Health & Safety), reflecting our commitment to quality, sustainability, and safe operations across all aspects of our business.

How to buy

Barrett Burston Malting products are available through multiple supply channels to meet the diverse needs of customers across brewing, distilling, and food manufacturing.

Bagged malt: Available throughout Australia via Cryer Malt, with international customers and distributors supported directly by Barrett Burston, ensuring convenient access and local availability.
Bulk malt: Supplied directly to breweries, distilleries, and food manufacturers both domestically and worldwide.

Supported by a flexible logistics network including road, bulk vessel, and container shipping, Barrett Burston ensures efficient and scalable distribution across regional and international markets. With strategically located maltings across Australia, customers benefit from reliable access to high quality, Australian grown malt at scale.

Visit our distributor for Oceania Where to buy