Simpsons Malt Limited, the independent, fifth-generation malting and merchanting business and Certified B Corporation, has successfully completed SAI Platform’s Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA) third-party verification process, achieving Gold performance level across its entire UK malting barley procurement.
A total of 678 growers – all directly contracted through agricultural merchanting division McCreath Simpson & Prentice – now form a single Farm Management Group (FMG) for malting barley following an audit of the group in late 2025.
The achievement marks a significant milestone for sustainable sourcing within the UK malting barley supply chain and builds on the company’s distilling wheat Farm Management Group achieving 100% FSA Gold performance level in 2024. Together, this means that all of Simpsons Malt’s directly contracted malting barley and distilling wheat purchases are now verified at Gold performance level.
For farmers within the group, which spans from the Highlands of Scotland down to the south of England, achieving FSA Gold verification independently confirms they are operating to first-class sustainability standards across a wide range of environmental, social and economic criteria. This includes soil and nutrient management, crop protection, biodiversity, community impact and employee welfare.
It also demonstrates engagement with a Simpsons Malt-led continuous improvement plan, while showing compliance with a trusted, globally recognised framework that assesses the whole farm business rather than individual crops.
For Simpsons Malt’s distilling and brewing customers, meanwhile, the verification provides confidence that malting barley processed at both its malting sites – Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland and Tivetshall St Margaret, Norfolk – has clear assurance and supply chain traceability. It is also helping to support these customers towards meeting their own sustainable sourcing objectives.
Ben Gothorp, Sustainability Manager at Simpsons Malt Limited, said:
“Achieving 100% FSA Gold performance level across our UK malting barley procurement is a huge achievement and it wouldn’t have been possible without the commitment and hard work of all our contracted growers."
“It means that every tonne of malting barley that we purchase from contracted UK growers is now verified to the highest FSA standard, highlighting significant progress being made with sustainability on-farm and giving confidence to our distilling and brewing customers in how their raw materials are sourced.”
One of the growers involved in the audit process, Jim Macfarlane of Thornhill Farming Partnership in Foulden, Scottish Borders, added:
“Audits are an important aspect of modern-day agriculture and I like FSA as it looks at the whole farm business and recognises the practical steps farmers are taking to improve sustainability, while maintaining productivity."
“Being selected for audit has been a positive experience as it has helped me stay on top of my game and I’m grateful for the support of the Simpsons Malt sustainability team, who were available to answer any questions that I had throughout the process.”
Jessica Joubert, Capability & Assurance Manager at SAI Platform, said:
“It’s inspiring to see a fifth-generation family business like Simpsons Malt Limited pair deep-rooted tradition with a clear commitment to sustainable farming."
"Achieving 100% FSA Gold verification across such a large malting barley grower base – and doing the same for their distilling wheat supply chain – is an exceptional accomplishment and sets a new benchmark for the UK. Congratulations to Simpsons Malt and their farmers on this outstanding achievement.”
