Small breweries are facing challenging times. The En Stoemelings brewery, established around a decade ago in Marolles, has sold its production equipment to the managers of four popular beer cafes in the Brussels-Capital Region.
Despite various attempts to revive the business amidst different crises, selling equipment appeared to be their only option to prevent bankruptcy, preserve the brand, and maintain their growth in Brussels, confessed co-founders Samuel Languy and Denys Van Elewyck.
The young entrepreneurs initially set up a brewery in 2015 on Rue du Miroir in Marolles, moving soon after to larger premises at Greenbizz workshops in Laeken. Their beers Curieuse Neus, Jawa, and 1897 found a market in the capital, but the consecutive crises have taken their toll on the business.
In a bid to raise the funds necessary to pay off their debt, Languy and Van Elewyck sold their production equipment to entrepreneurs Camille Roy and Maxime Léonard, who also took on the Greenbizz lease. The duo runs four beer cafes in Brussels: three called Amère à boire (located in Flagey, Uccle, and Saint-Gilles) and L’Impasse (Châtelain).
"We used to outsource beer for our cafes to different breweries, like La Source or Jandrain-Jandrenouille," Roy explained. "Now we will brew our own beer."
The equipment and En Stoemelings brewer Grégoire Piel will remain at the Laeken site, where he will oversee the production. As for the packaged beers, they will only be offered in the form of kegs at Amère à boire and L’Impasse, and canned beers will not be provided. "The distance between our various bars and Laeken is no more than 10 kilometres," Roy added.
However, this does not mark the end for En Stoemelings just yet. The brewery’s three signature beers will still be brewed and bottled by a subcontractor.
Furthermore, Languy and Van Elewyck will continue their Expérimentation Sauvage project, producing complex beers that undergo barrel maturation. These premium 75-cl bottles are primarily intended for export.
