UK Flour Millers has confirmed that the KWS winter wheat variety “KWS Vibe” has been officially upgraded to a full Group 1 variety, following a review of its performance in 2024. The decision was made by the UK Flour Millers Varieties Working Group (VWG) after evaluating the wheat’s milling and baking quality data from 2024, as well as data from the previous three years.
The VWG, which includes representatives from major flour milling companies in the UK, reached a consensus in early March 2025 to grant KWS Vibe the prestigious full Group 1 rating. Joe Brennan, head of technical and regulatory affairs at UK Flour Millers, noted that Group 1 winter varieties are essential for UK milling due to their consistent breadmaking quality, and KWS Vibe met these criteria with high protein levels and strong, stable breadmaking quality over three years of testing.
KWS Vibe follows SY Cheer, which also received a full Group 1 rating in September 2024. The upgrade is significant, as it marks the first new Group 1 winter wheat varieties to join the Recommended List (RL) since 2017, when KWS Zyatt was added.
Brennan also commented on the decline in the popularity of Group 1 wheats in recent years, leading to a shortage of homegrown breadmaking wheat. He expressed hope that new varieties like KWS Vibe will help address this issue and appeal to farmers due to its strong agronomic benefits.
UK Flour Millers is the trade association for the UK flour milling industry, with 32 member companies operating 51 mills and producing millions of tonnes of flour annually from primarily homegrown wheat.