Our History

Pauls Malt has supplied breweries and distilleries with malt over water for almost two centuries. We have a long and fascinating history that we’re incredibly proud of.

So who is Paul? Paul is the family name of the man who started it all.

Pauls Malt was founded in 1842 by Robert Paul (1806-1864), a wharfinger and maltster. The business then stayed in the Pauls family, growing from 11 small maltings and six barges to a fleet of 45 barges, an array of steamers, tugs and a shipyard in Ipswich.

Our fleet played remarkable roles in the biggest historical events of the 20th century. During World War I, Pauls Malt barges carried supplies for the British and allied forces into Europe. Then in World War II, five of the barges were loaded with resources and sailed to Dunkirk to help evacuate stranded soldiers during the Dunkirk Evacuation, also known as Operation Dynamo. Of these five ships, only two returned. The dramatic journey home of one of these barges, The Ena, is well documented.

Following the war, Pauls Malt continued to grow during the 21st century, supplying brewing ingredients to breweries and distilleries around the world.

Pauls Malt was acquired by Greencore in the 1990s. It wasn’t until 2010 when malt company Boortmalt purchased the business and invested extensively in it – welcoming it into their global family of local maltings and opening up new distribution channels  – that Pauls Malt reemerged as a leader in UK malt.

Today, Pauls Malt still believes in using the finest ingredients to create malts for craft breweries. We supply breweries and distilleries of all sizes, just like we did all those years ago.

Our rich maritime heritage has inspired our visual brand identity. Customers will spot some of the historical Pauls fleet on our malt sacks. Not only does the visual identity of our range give a nod to our past, but it also represents the characteristics of each ingredient and its contribution to your brew.