Muntons and Best Way Foods Ukraine Forge New Distribution Partnership

Muntons is pleased to announce a new partnership with Best Way Foods, a leading supplier of professional ingredients for the food industry and distributor and importer of global brands in Ukraine.

This partnership strengthens our presence in Eastern Europe and opens new doors for collaboration in both our Malted and Malted Ingredients divisions.

Under our malt business, we’ll be fostering collaboration between our British customers and Best Way Foods’ Ukrainian network to share recipes and brewing knowledge between UK and Ukrainian brewers.

As part of the partnership, we’re proud to have been part of a joint project between UK-based Farm Yard Brewery and Fanatic Brewery, Ukraine’s leading craft beer producer.

Together they created a Red IPA called “We’ll Still be Dancing”, brewed using 100% Muntons malt. The beer was created to show the quality and variety of our malts, while the name pays tribute to cultural resilience and unity in the face of adversity.

The relationship with Best Way Foods Ukraine also presents some exciting opportunities for our Malted Ingredients business.

Best Way Foods have already showcased our MI solutions to their top customers at the XIV Forum of Brewers, Distillers and Beverage in Kyiv, and during a seminar on “New Solutions for Your Products” which included demonstrations and tastings of various pastries and confectionary applications.

Muntons’ European Sales Manager, Arthur van der Meijden, said: “This partnership with Best Way Foods Ukraine is a powerful example of how malt can bring people together. Through shared recipes, joint beer production, and ingredient innovation, we’re building bridges between food and beverage companies in the UK and Ukraine. We’ve really enjoyed working with Best Way Foods Europe so far and we’re looking forward to seeing where this partnership will lead.”

Muntons Retains Gold EcoVadis Rating

Muntons, a global leader in malt and malted ingredients, has been awarded with a Gold EcoVadis Sustainability Rating for 2025, maintaining its position among the top 5% of companies assessed worldwide.

It is the sixth year running Muntons has achieved an EcoVadis rating, which is a globally recognised platform that assesses and rates business sustainability performance. The EcoVadis assessment evaluates companies on four key areas: Environment, Labour & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement.

Not only did Muntons maintain it’s Gold status, it also improved its overall EcoVadis score in 2025 vs 2024. The Environment was the area in which Muntons saw the biggest increase, gaining 15 points placing it in the top 1% of companies to achieve a score of 91-100 in this category.

Kate Dixon, Head of Sustainability, Innovation and Marketing at Muntons, said: “We pride ourselves on our EcoVadis rating and we’re incredibly proud to have maintained our Gold Level Sustainability Rating this year, particularly against a headwind of changes to the assessment criteria which has made achieving accreditations more challenging. This recognition reflects our unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship, ethical business practices, and sustainable innovation across our operations.”

Muntons has been at the forefront of sustainable malting since 2007. From investing in renewable energy and reducing water usage to supporting regenerative agriculture and cutting carbon emissions, the company continues to set ambitious targets and deliver measurable results.

These results in

clude decarbonising energy emissions by 56% against its 2010 baseline and reducing water consumption by 15% since 2022. Muntons also became the first maltster globally to commit to only using regeneratively farmed barley for its UK sacked base malts, and is leading Regenerative Agriculture trials with its local farming partners to cut on-site emissions.

In 2024 Muntons was awarded with a King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development, and most recently it won the Environmental & Sustainability Award and the Suffolk Business of the Year Award at the 2025 East Anglian Daily Times Business Awards.

Muntons welcomes Peter Prinsley MP

Muntons, the award-winning Stowmarket-based malt and malted ingredients manufacturer, has been showcased to Dr Peter Prinsley MP during a special visit.

Dr Prinsley, who is the MP for Bury St Edmunds & Stowmarket, toured Muntons’ headquarters in Stowmarket to learn more about the operations and global reach of the 104-year-old maltster.

During his visit, Dr Prinsley saw the Germination Boxes, an impressive part of the malting process, where he witnessed first-hand the scale and precision of Muntons’ production.

He also took part in a food tasting session in Muntons’ Innovation Centre, to find out more about the role of malt in everyday food products and how Muntons’ malted ingredients are helping to shape the future of sustainable food production. He was introduced to Muntons’ latest innovation, MaltiChoc, a cocoa alternative that is helping its global food and drink customers tackle cocoa price inflations and reduce carbon emissions.

Commenting on his visit, Dr Peter Prinsley MP said: “It was a real pleasure to visit Muntons and meet the dedicated team behind one of Stowmarket’s most historic and innovative businesses. As a proud family-owned manufacturer with deep local roots and a strong global reach, Muntons exemplifies the very best of British industry - combining tradition, sustainability, and forward-looking innovation. I was particularly impressed by their commitment to reducing environmental impact and their continued investment in the local community. Muntons is not just a major local employer - it’s a Stowmarket institution.”

Mark Tyldesley, Group Managing Director of Muntons, added: “We thoroughly enjoyed welcoming Dr Peter Prinsley MP to Muntons to share with him our story of being a thriving local business with a truly global reach. We had a productive discussion about how he can support businesses like ours, for example, championing skills development in engineering and the agri-food sector, and advocating for greater sustainability support for farmers.

“Peter’s commitment to highlighting the positive stories within his constituency and backing Suffolk’s vibrant business community is clear, and we’re proud to be part of that success from our base here in Stowmarket.”

Muntons employs 280 people at its Stowmarket site, and more than 370 people worldwide. The company produces malt and malted ingredients for some of the world’s biggest brewers, distilleries and food and soft drink manufacturers, from beer and whisky to breakfast cereals, baked goods and confectionary.

In 2024, Muntons was recognised with the King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development and won both the Environmental & Sustainability Award and Suffolk Business of the Year at the 2025 East Anglian Daily Times Business Awards. The company continues to lead the way in reducing on-site carbon emissions, supporting regenerative agriculture practices with its farming partners and embedding sustainability into every aspect of its operations, and holds a Gold level EcoVadis rating, putting it in the top 5% of companies assessed worldwide for sustainability.

Muntons wins big at East Anglian Daily Times Business Awards 2025

Firstly, we were thrilled to win the Environmental & Sustainability Award against some stiff competition, including British Sugar and Spectra Packaging. The judges praised our passion for sustainability, our vision and our continuous drive forward, and the incredible results we’ve achieved so far.

We then went on to be crowned overall Suffolk Business of the Year, an award which is hand-picked by the judges from the ten individual category winners.

Commenting on our awards success, Group Managing Director, Mark Tyldesley, said: “Winning Suffolk Business of the Year is a proud moment for everyone at Muntons, it reflects the energy, innovation, and commitment our team brings to everything we do. It’s also a thank you to every single one of our staff members, it’s their dedication and hard work that make achievements like this possible.

“We are very fortunate to be part of Suffolk’s vibrant business community, and this motivates us to keep striving for excellence and making a positive impact.”

Kate Dixon, Head of Sustainability, Innovation and Marketing, added: “Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at Muntons. We are firm believers that doing the right thing for the planet is also the right thing for our business, and this award is a testament to the hard work and passion of our entire team in turning our ambitious goals into reality.”

Founded in 1921 and headquartered in Stowmarket, Muntons has grown into a global leader in malt and malted ingredients, supplying customers in over 60 countries. Our vision is to be the world’s most sustainable maltster, and these awards are a powerful endorsement of the work we’ve done to embed environmental, social, and economic responsibility into every aspect of our operations.

 

MaltiChoc™ by Muntons – The Ultimate Cocoa Match Expands Its Range

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Muntons, Europe’s largest manufacturer of malt extract and malted ingredients, has expanded its range of its innovative cocoa replacer, MaltiChocTM.

MaltiChocTM R500 has been developed as a match for reduced fat cocoa powders and works particularly well in dairy-based applications such as beverages, milkshakes and ice creams. It joins Muntons’ existing MaltiChocTM D1000 which matches multiple cocoa powders and is commonly used in sweet bakery applications including brownies, cakes and biscuits. Both varieties can also be used flexibly across a range of applications.

With the cost of cocoa skyrocketing, manufacturers are turning to cocoa replacers to help mitigate ongoing price increases. Muntons’ MaltiChocTM range offers a turnkey solution, with an authentic cocoa taste and simple integration without the need for complex recipe adjustments. It also enhances texture for a more premium experience in all applications, from smoother beverages to moister cakes and crunchier biscuits.

Commenting on the launch, Bryn Williams, Chief Commercial Officer at Muntons, said: “MaltiChocTM has consistently outperformed competitor cocoa replacers in all areas and across multiple applications during testing. Whether it’s brownies, biscuits, beverages, or as a chocolate compound for fillings and coatings, the feedback we’re receiving on it is excellent and that it’s a perfect match for cocoa. Depending on customer requirements we can also offer bespoke and tailored solutions too.

"The volatility in the cocoa market shows no sign of slowing down and cocoa replacers are becoming increasingly important for manufacturers looking to control costs. Consumers are cutting back on chocolate, confectionery, and dessert purchases due to inflation*, or opting for more affordable own label options**. As a result, our customers are coming to us looking for a solution that ensures a stable supply and reduces their reliance on cocoa. With MaltiChocTM, customers can benefit from a significantly lower and more stable cost compared to cocoa. Plus, its natural ingredient declaration is a strong advantage for on-pack appeal.

“We’re continuing to expand our MaltiChocTM offering and our Innovation team is constantly testing new applications and new varieties, and we’ve got some exciting developments in the pipeline.”

MaltiChocTM has been expertly crafted using Muntons’ purest malt extracts. It’s manufactured in Muntons’ low carbon maltings, which has the lowest carbon emissions of all UK maltings, and emits 96% less CO2 per ton vs. regular cocoa.

For more information about MaltiChocTM, email hello@muntons.com.

*GlobalData 2023 Q4 Consumer Survey – UK, published in December 2023, sample size – 500

**GlobalData 2023 Q4 Consumer Survey – UK, published in December 2023, sample size – 500

 

Muntons achieves record-breaking year and welcomes new Chair at AGM

Muntons, the malt and malted ingredients manufacturer is celebrating another record year having exceeded £20m in earnings (EBITDA) for the first time.

The maltster held its Annual General Meeting on Saturday 17th May following the publication of its first integrated Annual Review & Sustainability Report. Shareholders heard that the company achieved £20.2m EBITDA in the 2024 financial year, achieving its goal of breaking the £20m mark a year earlier than projected.

Elsewhere, profit grew to £9.3m, representing a 60% improvement in pre-tax profit over the past three years. Muntons continued to invest in the long-term sustainable growth of the business by increasing investment to £9.4m, all while decreasing debt.

Serious about sustainability 

A sustainability leader both locally and nationally, one of Muntons’ most significant achievements of the past year was being awarded the King’s Award for Sustainable Development. The award recognised the company’s efforts to reduce its environmental impact both up- and downstream in the supply chain, including the ground-breaking work it's carrying out with its farming partners to reduce on-farm emissions through regenerative agriculture practices.

Group Managing Director, Mark Tyldesley, commented: “2024 was another strong year for Muntons. After a record-breaking 2023, we were able to consolidate our growth and make strong progress for the years ahead. Our focus last year was our people – we delivered a year-long programme aimed at upskilling team leaders, increasing technical skills and introducing new recognition initiatives and more transparent career progression.

“Our biggest achievement of 2024 was receiving the Kings Award in recognition of our commitment to sustainability and reducing our emissions. Sustainability sits at the heart of everything we do, so much so that this year is the first time that we’ve published an integrated Annual Review & Sustainability Report. For us, our environmental performance is just as important as our financial performance.

“Looking ahead, we will continue to invest in our growth with projects which will increase our capacity and future-proof existing capability, such as new state-of-the-art, energy-efficient kilns at our Stowmarket site, and a multimillion-pound intake at our Flamborough Maltings in Bridlington, Yorkshire.”

As of the end of 2024, Muntons has decarbonised emissions across all its UK sites by 54% vs. its 2010 baseline. Initially its target was a reduction of 45% by 2025, but the company achieved this early in 2022. For the last five years Muntons has achieved either a Gold or Platinum Level EcoVadis Sustainability Rating, a globally recognised platform that assesses and rates business sustainability performance. Its current Gold Level rating puts it in the top 5% of companies assessed worldwide.

Muntons has also just launched a game-changing low-carbon malt for its craft brewing customers. Its Climate Positive Malt offers a 30% reduction in carbon emissions vs. regular malt, helping its customers drastically reduce their Scope 3 emissions.

New Chair announced at AGM

During the AGM, Muntons welcomed Chris Thomas as its new Chair. Chris has a strong track record of successful leadership in the food and dairy sectors, having held senior executive and non-executive positions across a range of businesses including  First Milk, G’s, Tulip UK, Adelie Foods, Bakkavor, St. Ivel, PepsiCo and Mars. He joined the Muntons board in June 2023.

Chris takes on the role following the retirement of Paul Wells, who has spent 34 years as a Muntons Board member, having joined in 1990, including 12 as Chair following his election in 2011.

Commenting on his appointment, Chris Thomas said: “In the almost two years that I’ve been a member of the Muntons’ Board, I’ve been hugely impressed with the business. From its unwavering commitment to sustainability and reducing its environmental impact, to the continued investment in its people. I’m immensely proud to have been elected as Chair and am looking forward to working with the whole Muntons team to help the business continue to thrive.”

Mark Tyldesley added: Paul’s departure marks the end of an era; his influence, leadership and strategic vision have been instrumental in shaping Muntons into the successful, forward-thinking company it is today. As he concludes his remarkable tenure, and on behalf of the entire team, we extend our deepest gratitude and best wishes for his well-earned retirement.

“I am now looking forward to working closely with Chris to continue to drive the business forward. With a wealth of experience as both a Chair and Non-Exec Director, we are confident that Chris will be an incredible asset Muntons and will help to continue to strengthen the company for the years ahead.”

Muntons lends support to regenerative farming project

Muntons is supporting a new regenerative agriculture lighthouse project which is being led by the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), an organisation founded and sponsored by King Charles III.

The ‘Routes to Regen’ project is taking place across the East of England throughout 2025 and aims to support farmers to adopt more sustainable or regenerative farming practices.

The global food system is responsible for approximately 30% of human-produced greenhouse gas emissions and remains the biggest driver of nature loss. While the benefits of regenerative farming are well established, research by the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Agribusiness Hub has found that economic risk and a fragmented support system often deter farmers from making the transition.

The Routes to Regen project is free to enter and is being aimed at arable and mixed cropping farms. Those that take part will have access to tailored on-farm advice alongside a menu of support services.

Muntons is providing participants with peer-to-peer support in the form of free agronomy webinars with Neil Fuller, a highly respected agronomist who has been engaged in farming, food and nutrition projects around the world. Neil is the technical lead on the Good Soil Guide, an online reference and knowledge-sharing platform for farmers.

Muntons is also offering participants access to its incentivised climate positive malting barely programme, which pays a premium to regeneratively farmed barley aligned to SBTi carbon accountancy and KPIs from SAI’s Regenerating Together programme.

Head of Sustainability, Innovation and Marketing at Muntons, Kate Dixon, said: “We’ve been involved in regenerative agriculture trials for a decade, so we know first-hand the impact it can have in lowering carbon emissions. However, adopting regenerative techniques can be a daunting step for farmers to take, which is why we were so keen to support the SMI’s Routes to Regen project. It will provide fantastic support resources for those who are interested in trialling sustainable farming methods and will hopefully lead to some long-term changes within the local farming community.

Muntons joins a number of leading food and finance companies in supporting the Routes to Regen project, including McCain Foods, McDonald's, Lloyds Banking Group, Waitrose & Partners, NatWest, Barclays, Aon, Tokio Marine Kiln and Lloyd’s.

The project is being managed by The Royal Countryside Fund with on-farm advice being provided by Ceres Rural. In addition to the webinars and incentivised support from Muntons, other support available includes financial support such as business planning advice, weather insurance and discounts on cover crop seeds, and technical support in the form of trial insights, connections to local livestock farmers and support with data collection and measurement. Farms taking part will also have the opportunity to attend demonstrations days and knowledge sharing events.

By taking a whole farm approach, the programme aims to reduce risk for the farmer, increase adoption rates, and make regenerative agriculture a more viable and attractive choice for farmers.

For more information and to complete and expression of interest form, visit: https://www.royalcountrysidefund.org.uk/how-we-help/family-farm-businesses/routes-to-regen/.