Spring barley Belter has received full approval for brewing from the Malting Barley Committee, says breeder Secobra UK.
The UK-bred variety also secures a leading position on the 2026 AHDB Spring Barley Recommended List. It marks a significant step for growers across Norfolk, Suffolk and the wider east of England, where spring barley remains a cornerstone crop.
East Anglia is home to some of the country’s most important malting and brewing supply-chain businesses – making locally relevant barley genetics essential for arable farming and the drinks industry.
Breeding pedigree
Belter was bred in the UK by Secobra barley breeder Paul Bury, whose programme focuses heavily on performance under eastern counties’ conditions. The company is headquartered at Pentney, between Swaffham and King’s Lynn,
The variety combines high treated (104%) and untreated yields across England’s main barley-growing regions; strong grain quality, high extract and good fermentability; and stiff straw and high brackling resistance.
It has excellent consistency in what has become an increasingly variable climate, matching or exceeding other leading varieties across five seasons, reinforcing its suitability for the region’s large area of spring barley.
Norfolk and Suffolk are home to some of the UK’s leading maltsters. They include Simpsons Malt, who said Belter had “consistently been a top performer” over several years. Soufflet Bairds Malt said Belter had performed consistently well across the entire UK.
Investment
Secobra said Belter’s success reflected the company’s commitment to the UK spring barley market, backed by long-term investment in British and European breeding, trials and supply chain partnerships.
Secobra’s UK programme was focusing on delivering genetics that offered resilience, reliability and commercial relevance across the farming, malting, brewing and distilling sectors, it added.
Seed from many eastern distributors will be available for harvest 2026 planting, offering growers a reliable variety bred and trialled with UK and East Anglian conditions in mind, said Secobra UK commercial manager Tom Barker.
“The east of England is central to the UK’s barley industry. Having Belter achieve Full Approval for brewing is a significant moment for growers and supply-chain partners across Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire.
“We are proud to have a variety bred here in the UK, developed at our Norfolk base, and now recognised for the consistency and resilience that this region demands.”