Of the Cambier brewery in Croix, there is not much left after the fire which took place very early in the morning of December 31. In addition to the origin of the fire, other questions are pending: will the production of beers continue? Will the Lille bar Sikaru operate normally? Jean-Christophe Cambier responds.
This Saturday, January 4, Jean-Christophe Cambier went for the first time to his brewery in Croix after the fire which destroyed everything on December 31. “I was on vacation in the mountains when the fire broke outsays the creator of Mongy beer. The production, the vats, the taproom… everything is out of order, there is not much to recover. The building will be completely razed.”
Cambier therefore ends up being a “collateral victim” of a fire which started at Euro Pare-Brise+, the neighboring company. And for the moment, we do not yet know the origin of the fire.
Brewers’ solidarity in action
But in this tragedy, there is still some good news. “My stock is intact, as it was in another building. We will be able to continue to sell our beers in our Sikaru bar in Lille, and supply our professional customers for a month to a month and a half.“
And then, no more Mongy, double citra, New French IPA and ephemeral beers? This is without taking into account the outpouring of solidarity from the brewing family and the determination of Jean-Christophe who wants “bounce back very quickly.“
“I have received several calls from colleagues who are keen to brew my beers and who are in the region, in the rest of France or in Belgiumexplains the brewing engineer. I am trying to see who I can do it with while keeping the same production volume as well as the quality and consistency of our beers. I want us to not feel any differences and I will be there to supervise.”
He also plans collaborations with other breweries to continue making one or two ephemeral beers per month. “I can’t promise that there won’t be any shortages in the first two weeks of January, but I already have calls and meetings planned to get everything set up, and I can put some friends’ beers on .” In other words, the Cambier brewery is not dead.
Online prize pool
But she will still need a helping hand from her loyal customers. Because if the insurance will kick in for the millions of euros of lost equipment, JC Cambier still needs new barrels to get back into the race. An online prize pool will be set up in the coming days (or even hours).
And for the future Cambier brewery?
Another question is running through our minds: will the Cambier brewery and its taproom stay in the Lille metropolis? Because it is currently not on rue Jean-Monnet in Croix that the spot will be able to be rebuilt. Once the building is razed, it will take time before another one is built.
“For now, everything is to be seen, we don’t know, finishes the brewer. What we know is that we want to stay in the Lille metropolis. I want us to remain an urban brewery on a human scale, accessible by public transport, with a taproom. And for the next one, we want to make it even better.” Hoppy affair to follow.
