Maltster and farmer who began at Paul's of Ipswich has died

Michael Crowther became a farmer at Tuffon Hall, at Sible Hedingham, near Halstead, after returning to his home village with his young family following a successful malting career in Scotland.

He bought land next to his mother Bunty's small farm known as The Nunnery and helped create an arable farm business treble the size which is now run by son, Angus, and includes a vineyard and wedding venue arm.

But before that, he built up a highly successful maltings business - Moray Firth Maltings in Inverness - with three friends.

"I think people would arguably describe him as a businessman, then a farmer," said  Angus. "He enjoyed being a farmer, but I suspect he probably missed the exciting part of the deal." 

The entrepreneur, who died on Friday, March 3, after a long illness, was a key figure in the remarkable expansion of malting barley in the north of Scotland. He later became well known in the north Essex farming community.

He was  born in Colchester and educated at Oundle school in Northamptonshire and did his national service with the 33rd Parachute Field Regiment Royal Artillery.

He encountered "lively" situations on tours in Suez and Northern Ireland, and Angus recalled how he loved to demonstrate his "parachute roll" at parties - sending glasses and tables flying.

After the army, he studied agriculture at Wye University before landing his first job at R&W Pauls in Ipswich as a pig feed salesman.

In 1965, he was promoted to manager of a subsidiary agricultural merchant company.

Around the age of 29 while working for Paul's he met Oliver Griffin and the pair hatched a plan to set up a maltings in Inverness.

The following year, he and Oliver moved up to the north of Scotland and along with two other founders set up Moray Firth Maltings to serve the huge whisky distilling industry in the Highlands.

The idea was to produce malt more cost-effectively using a new static malting process.

Within three years, the four raised enough cash to build the plant and managed to persuade sceptical local farmers to grow the right sort of barley to supply the plant.

"So began an incredible growth journey where Moray Firth Maltings began to export malt to the likes of Japan, Nigeria and Brazil," explained Angus.

"He also developed life-long friendships with some tremendous characters in the whisky industry and in the Highlands.

"Despite being a proud Englishman, he said he preferred the company of Scots praising their friendliness and hospitality. They liked him as much he liked them."

The company enjoyed phenomenal growth - and pioneered a new Highlands malting industry. "It was an incredible success - they were the front-runners. It was seen to be a big risk but the pay-off was significant."

He married Catherine MacDougall of Inverness and they had three children.

In 1984, the company was sold to Scottish & Newcastle and later became Bairds - a company which continues to this day.

Following the sale, he went to work in Thailand for three years as an adviser to its government's agricultural department. While there, he set up various co-operatives around the country which enabled farmers to dry their maize using machine driers. 

"He loved Thailand and they loved him," said Angus. 

In 1987, he bought the farm that would become Tuffon Hall and grew malting barley and milling wheat.

"He loved the business side of things and had no time for people if he thought he was getting the wrong end of a deal," recalled Angus.

"But he mellowed with age and began to enjoy the rhythm of the seasons. He was a keen member of the Greenstead Green Agricultural Club and was a local district councillor for Braintree."

He also continued to see his Scottish friends in the north for shooting and would think nothing of driving to Inverness and back in two days. He was also a big supporter of conservation work on the farm and enjoyed wildlife.

"That's something I have taken from him - an appreciation of wildlife and conservation," said Angus, who took over the reins at the farm 12 years ago.

Their father was a "great dad" and "great fun", said Angus and sister Sarah. He was a bon vivant who loved people, was mischievous, and liked whisky, rugby and shooting.

"He was interested in other people," they said. "People liked being around him. He was always at the centre."

He will be greatly missed by his family and friends including children Angus, Sarah and Nicola and grandchildren Fraser, George, Henry, Amelie, Beatrice, Charlotte and Hamish.

His funeral is on Monday, March 27, at 2.30pm at St Nicholas Church, Castle Hedingham, Essex.