De Brabandere Brewery invests in a new canning and packaging line in the midst of the corona crisis

The past year was not an easy one for the Belgian brewing world. And for now, no immediate improvement is in sight. As long as the hospitality sector remains closed, breweries cannot operate at full capacity either. At De Brabandere Brewery in Bavikhove, however, we have not been sitting still. Cans have recently been rolling off the brand-new state-of-the-art canning and packaging line, representing an investment of 4 million euros. "Not an easy decision to make such an investment in the middle of a crisis," says Albert De Brabandere, "but we continue to believe in the future of our West Flemish beers. Internationally too."

Keeping up with the trends

The year had announced itself promisingly for De Brabandere Brewery. A week before the lockdown in March, five yeast tanks were installed, good for a capacity increase to 300,000 HL. "In terms of timing, that could obviously have been better," De Brabandere explains. "During the months that followed, demand for our beer fell back both nationally and internationally." Despite the crisis, they remain optimistic in Bavikhove: "As a Belgian family business, we have to keep up with the trends. Abroad, consumers have long since stopped being surprised by speciality beer in cans, even in the pub. It is synonymous with quality in an ecological packaging."

In total, the site in Bavikhove can produce 15,000 cans an hour, which then automatically end up in handy cardboard boxes. "Crisis or not, we considered this a worthwhile investment. We did have to search a bit for construction companies willing to also build an accompanying 1,500 m² warehouse during this turbulent period, but nothing proved impossible," says De Brabandere. And after the installation of the new yeast tanks and the new canning line with its accompanying warehouse, is the brewery then done with investments for the coming period? "We keep moving forward, so we do still have a few projects in the pipeline," De Brabandere winks.

Cans roll straight onto the market

The brewery's first cans have meanwhile rolled off the line straight onto the market. A large part went to the US and Russia, among others, but they have also forged a fine partnership at home. "Retailer Colruyt chose to add our cans of Bavik Super Pils to their range. A huge boost for us. We notice that our pilsner is appreciated further from the source as well. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to find on the other side of Flanders. Thanks to its presence in Colruyt stores, we will be able to make Bavik Super Pils fans from all over Belgium happy," says sales and marketing manager Stijn Vermoere. "We noticed that the first rays of sunshine already increased demand for beer in cans. So why shouldn't these cans soon be seen in summer bars and on terraces too?"

Hospitality reopening on 1 May

De Brabandere Brewery will moreover make sure there is fresh and tasty beer at its hospitality customers when they reopen on 1 May. Crates of beer, waters and soft drinks that expired during the corona crisis will be replaced free of charge with fresh products. With this, the family brewery wants to support customers who were forced to keep their doors closed for many months over the past year. "As a brewery, we take our responsibility to ensure that everyone can start with fresh products upon reopening. De Brabandere Brewery holds quality in high esteem, so this complex logistical operation is self-evident for us," says Albert De Brabandere.