Brussels Beer Project (BBP), an experimental brewery from Brussels, Belgium, is investing EUR 6 million in a new brewery on the quays of the Brussels canal in Brussels suburb of Anderlecht. The new brewery will have an annual capacity of 35,000 hectolitres and will allow BBP to brew all its beers in Belgium’s capital. Since their launch in 2013, BBP has outsourced the production of their “all-star” beers – Delta IPA, Grosse Bertha, Red my Lips, etc. – to a contract brewery, Brouwerij Anders in Halen, 60 kilometers northeast of Brussels. In addition, the brewery operates a small brewery close to the city center of Brussels which will remain operational but will shift focus onto experiments on smaller brews.
“Leave the abbey – join the playground”, is the motto of BBP which does not want to build upon the centuries-old tradition of Belgium abbey beers but rather create a new history. “Our mission ? Wake Belgian beer up, dust it and get it out of middle-ages. This time, no abbeys, we preferred Brussels : cosmopolitan, contemporary, vibrant,” the company says on its website.
The new brewery in Anderlecht will be located along the canal and bike path and feature a beer garden of more than 900 square meters and a taproom to accommodate more than 25,000 people a year. 50 people will be able to work in the new building .The brewery intends to hire 26 new people.
The project is committed to sustainability, including through the use of solar panels for being self-sufficient in electricity and the use of hot water generated by the production to heat the building.
The works will start in September of 2020 and should be completed a year later.
The investment comes right in the middle of the corona crisis. After a shutdown BBP started brewing again at the end of April and is currently focusing on online sales. "But we are far from our normal level," says Sébastien Morvan who founded the brewery together with his partner Olivier de Brauwere. "After all, that cannot compensate for what we normally sell in the catering business."
The Anderlecht brewery will add to Belgium’s vibrant craft brewing scene. At the beginning of 2023 after its renovation, the building of the former Brussels stock exchange will be host the beer experience centre Belgian Beer World which will show the visitors the variety and rich history of Belgium beers. Already a total of 104 Belgian beer brewers from all over Belgium have confirmed their participation in the project (inside.beer, 20.2.2020).
