Around 130 tonnes of barley lost in overnight fire
8th January 2024
A Suffolk maltings supplier faces losses of around 130 tonnes of barley after a blaze broke out in the factory.
On the evening of Friday, 4th January 2024, the staff at Muntons in Stowmarket, Suffolk, detected a smoulder in the intake driers. A total of nine fire engines, from the Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, were called to tackle the fire, including four engines that rotated throughout shift patterns to dampen around 130 tonnes of barley and contain the incident.
Factory to continue manufacturing
A spokeswoman for Muntons confirmed that the occurrence was fully contained by the next morning. No injuries have been reported among the staff.
They added: “The rest of our site continued working throughout the incidence, so all your favourite chocolate, malt loaf, beer and whisky brands are able to keep manufacturing. We have moved swiftly into action mode to get intake up and running as quickly as possible and would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to all our grain merchants and farmers for their flexibility and understanding over the next few days.”
Muntons plc is a supplier of sustainable malt and malted ingredients to the food and drinks industry worldwide. The company was established in 1921.
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