Canadian food processor snaps up Norfolk-based maltster

Norfolk-based malting company Crisp Malt has been acquired by Canadian food processor Richardson International, as part of a wider acquisition of parent company Anglia Maltings Holdings.

Based in Great Ryburgh, Anglia Maltings operates seven malt facilities in the UK, Poland and Germany, with a combined capacity of 440,000t.

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Also included in the deal is Micronized Food Products, which specialises in cereals and pulses for brewing and animal feed, and EDME Food Ingredients, which focuses on malted and non-malted products for the baking industry.

Anglia Maltings chief executive Stuart Sands welcomed the move, saying the new Canadian parent would help take the business to the next level.

“It is fantastic that this highly regarded, successful family company is keen to support and invest in our three businesses,” he said.

“The backing will help us deliver on our ambitions for new ingredients, and open new doors for our businesses.”

Natural extension 

Richardson International chief executive Curt Vossen said the move into malting was a “natural extension of our food processing business”.

“As experienced handlers of malting barley in North America, this is an exciting next step in our long-term strategy, which includes the diversification of our business and continued growth in the food processing industry,” he said.

Richardson International already processes and refines Canadian-grown oilseeds and manufactures oil-based ingredients for the retail, food service and industrial sectors.

It is also actively involved in processing oats and durum wheat into a variety of value-added food products.

The company is keen to now capitalise on the growing global demand for malting barley, predominantly driven by the brewing and distilling industries.

Recent investments

Richardson International’s latest announcement follows a series of significant investment initiatives in recent years.

In 2021, the company made substantial capital investments in oilseed and milling processing facilities in North America and Europe.

That same year, the company acquired Italgrani USA – North America’s largest durum wheat miller and a major supplier of semolina flours to international pasta markets.

Richardson will welcome 360 employees from Anglia Maltings into its wider group of companies across Canada, the US and Europe.

It currently employs over 3,000 people worldwide.