French & Jupps host LBA members for a tour and tasting.
On Friday, 21st February 2025, a group of London Brewers Alliance members had the opportunity to step inside the historic walls of French & Jupps, Great Britain’s oldest maltster, for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour.
With a 336-year heritage, French & Jupps has played a key role in shaping the UK’s brewing industry, supplying expertly crafted malts to brewers across the country. The visit offered attendees a rare chance to explore the full malting process, from barley intake to steeping, germination, roasting, and finally, the production of their renowned Crystal and Patent malts.
A Deep Dive into Traditional Malting
The day began with a warm welcome from James Marinos on behalf of French & Jupps, who provided a light lunch before kicking off the tour. As the group moved through the site, they were given a first-hand look at the intricate loading and unloading process, as well as the precise steps involved in creating handcrafted specialty malts.
One of the highlights was an in-depth discussion on roasting techniques, where attendees gained insight into how different roasting profiles influence colour, flavour, and aroma - key factors in shaping the final character of a beer. Throughout the tour, the relaxed Q&A format allowed for lively discussion, with brewers keen to understand how they could further optimise their malt choices in future recipes.
Exploring Malt Through Spirits
To round off the visit, attendees took part in a unique malt spirit tasting, exploring how different malt varieties contribute to distinct flavour profiles. French & Jupps provided a vodka-based malt distillate, allowing brewers to assess the nuances of various malt types in a pure, unfermented form.
Each attendee also received a copy of the French & Jupps brewers’ malt collection booklet, offering a deeper look at the full range of malts available and their applications in brewing, alongside a can of with a can of Yippee Pie-Yay, a Texas Pecan Pie Stout made in collaborations with Hackney Church Brew Co using malt exclusively from French & Jupps.
The Party Continues
Following the event, attendees were invited back to Hackney Church Brew Co to continue the revelry and enjoy a number of great beers all in the name of research.
The LBA would like to extend a huge thank you to James Marinos and the entire French & Jupps team for hosting such a fascinating and informative day. Their passion for malting and dedication to supporting the brewing industry was clear throughout, and we greatly appreciate the opportunity to learn more about this vital part of the brewing process. Thanks also goes to the team at Hackney Church Brew Co for their hospitality throughout the evening.
For those who couldn’t make it, we highly encourage visiting French & Jupps in the future—you won’t find a better place to deepen your knowledge of malt!
