In an effort to better serve the global brewing community Yakima Chief Hops (YCH), the largest grower-owned hop supplier based in Yakima, Washington, has completed construction of a state-of-the-art cold storage warehouse in Belgium.
The expansion into Europe will greatly improve the YCH customer experience, including increased access to their portfolio of products and varieties as well as improved logistics and faster delivery times to brewery customers, the company said in a media statement.
“Establishing a foundation here in Europe speaks to the commitment YCH has to delivering the highest quality hops directly to its global brewing customers,” said Denis Gayte, Managing Director for YCH Europe. “Our new facility ensures that our hops grown in America’s Pacific Northwest can be stored here in Europe and delivered to customers in the best possible condition."
Located in Mont Saint Guibert, the 6,600 sqm2 warehouse includes cold storage capacity to house up to 8,800 pallets of hops, office space, a taproom and a visitor center where customers can learn about hops and sample beers using YCH products. YCH also invested in a homebrew production line allowing the ability to offer high-quality hop pellets in smaller size packaging for home and nano brewers.
The Belgium facility was also designed with sustainability in mind, as it supports an 1800 panel solar array, producing 750 MW of energy, or about half of the building’s total consumption. The green construction, design and operation plan centers around waste diversion, water conservation and healthfulness of interior spaces. The building runs on renewable energy and uses higher efficiency fixtures that reduce overall energy and water consumption.
