Barretts of Canterbury: 28-30 St. Peter's Street, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 2BL

Whilst there were now two car showrooms in Canterbury there was still only one workshop (or Works, as it was called then) at St Peters Street and as this also housed the spare parts space was at a premium and more premises were needed.

In January 1966 this need was satisfied when the Malthouse off St Stephen's Road was purchased at auction from Mackersons. When it was handed over to Barretts it came complete - including the cottages, kilns, grain and the inevitable rats! The Malthouse had been built in 1898 because of its proximity to both the railway (it had its own siding) and the River Stour. It was custom designed for the very special process which turns barley into malt by damping it, allowing it to sprout, changing the grain starch into sugar, and then drying to the required colour before being stored and despatched to the brewers.

The whole process would take about ten weeks and was extremely labour intensive, although the flow of the barley/malt was such that it started at the top floor and each successive process was carried out on a lower level, so that gravity at least helped, once the grain was in the building.

The five floors, with relatively low ceilings, were very suitable for Barretts requirements of parts sales and storage and vehicle parking and the kilns were soon removed (and the rodents!) and windows were added to the southern elevation for offices. When the Parts department moved from St Peters Street the space vacated by them was changed into a new reception area for the workshop.