Our story
Brouwerij De Brabandere can look back on a rich history while looking to the future with just as much confidence. Our heart still lies in Bavikhove, in what once began as a farmhouse brewery. The fifth generation is now at the head of this successful family brewery.
The early days.
In 1894, Brouwerij De Brabandere was founded by beer enthusiast Adolphe De Brabandere and his son Jozef. Back then, the brewery was little more than a few copper kettles in the brewhouse, a small yard serving as a logistics area and a storehouse for malt.
The passionate Jozef saw the brewery grow rapidly in no time. During the First World War he was forced to halt all activity, but afterwards the damage sustained was quickly repaired so work could resume.
A shrewd salesman.
In 1929 Jozef De Brabandere passed away and, as his sons and daughter were too young to take over, his widow kept the brewery running.
Gradually Albert De Brabandere came to the fore, and in 1950 he finally took charge of the brewery. Originally beer was only delivered to cafés and private customers, but Albert was a shrewd salesman and also started exporting to beer merchants.
Hospitality and export.
For thirty years Albert was the driving force behind the brewery, after which his son Ignace took the helm. With his arrival, the fourth generation De Brabandere was at the controls from 1975 onwards. The brewery began to focus emphatically on the hospitality sector and on export.
As a local entrepreneur, Ignace De Brabandere also positioned himself as a sponsor. Petrus, for instance, was for years featured on the shirts of first-division football club Zulte-Waregem. Sports sponsorship opened many doors for the brewery, from supermarkets to sports club canteens.
Still a family brewery today.
In 2013 the fifth generation stepped up: Albert De Brabandere. Since 2017 he has officially been at the head of the brewery, and considerable investments have since been made to increase the brewery’s capacity.
Thanks to the hard-working and ambitious De Brabandere family, the brewery today is still a family brewery and one of the largest independent breweries in Belgium.
