UK: Job losses at Britain's leading independent maltster, Crisp Malting Group

Up to 20 jobs are expected to be axed by Britain's leading independent maltster the Crisp Malting Group of Great Ryburgh, near Fakenham, Archant Regional posted on January 16.

Despite assurances that last year's take-over by holding company Ragleth would not lead to job cuts, company bosses today confirmed that between 15 and 20 people would be made redundant across the group's four maltings.

Last year was also the first year that workers at the business did not receive a Christmas bonus. Crisp Malting employs around 275 people at maltings in Great Ryburgh, Ditchingham, near Bungay, and Portgordon and Alloa in Scotland.

Ragleth chief executive David Thompson, said the redundancies would be spread across all the bases. He said the cuts were being made because of the "substantial over-capacity" in European maltings.

"There has been a surge recently in production from maltings in the UK and across Europe," he said. "Profitability has been under a great deal of pressure and that has been compounded by the fact the price of gas has more than doubled from last year."

He added that Christmas bonuses had been scrapped across the board this year, with the only exceptions being for some senior managers. "We have got a pay system which we believe reflects the right rate of pay," he said.

One worker at the Great Ryburgh maltings said they were expecting up to 30 more people, including office staff, to be made redundant in coming months. Mr Thompson did not rule out further cuts, saying the company would be "continuously reviewing" it's efficiency. "We clearly have to operate as economically as we can and that is why we have made these changes," he said.

Ragleth has been carrying out a series of changes to the structure of the business, including incorporating the company's transport wing - truckers Walpole and Right - into Crisp Malting.

Mr Thompson said many of the lorries would now be based at the Great Ryburgh headquarters, although he added the truckers would continue to carry out additional contract work for other businesses.

The Crisp Malting group is known for its high-quality malt made with traditional brewing barley varieties such as Maris Otter, and the Ryburgh maltings is one of the country's last to use a traditional floor malting, which runs alongside a modern malting facility.

In September the company was bought by Ragleth, which came together to purchase it from previous owner the Anglia Maltings Group.

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