A week after the fire which ravaged his brewery in Croix (North), Jean-Christophe Cambier wants to look towards the future. While waiting to find new premises, he has launched an online fundraiser and can count on the solidarity of his colleagues. In 2024, the Cambier brewery had produced 500,000 liters of beer.
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“2025 will be the year of reconstruction for us.” In the middle of the charred machines, he inspects each tank with the flashlight of his cell phone. “Our production tool has been there, our taproom too… The building will be razed, there is nothing left”deplores Jean-Christophe Cambier.
On the night of December 30 to 31, 2024, a fire completely destroyed his brewery. On vacation in the mountains with his family for the end-of-year holidays, the business manager is woken up at 5 a.m. by a phone call.
Firefighters battled to extinguish the fire which ravaged the Cambier brewery in Croix (North) on the night of December 30 to 31, 2024.
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© Brasserie Cambier
Back in the North, he discovered the extent of the damage this Monday, January 6, 2025. But after a few days of “astonishment”Jean-Christophe Cambier now wants to put things into perspective. “There are no injuries, no deaths, it’s equipment, it can be replaced. Of course I would have preferred to avoid all this but you can’t change the past. What we can do is work to have a future that is the way we want it to be.”
2025, year of reconstruction
According to the first elements of the investigation, the fire started in the premises of the neighboring company Europarbrise before spreading to the brewery. Fortunately, the storage building was not affected. “We can still deliver to our customers thanks to our stock of beers which we estimate at around a month and a half”specifies the manager, eyes fixed on the future.
According to the business manager, it will be necessary “at least 12 to 18 months” before being able to reinstall a production unit in a new building. However, there is no question of stopping the activity during this period.
And the craft brewer, established for 10 years in Croix, can count on the solidarity of his colleagues in the Lille metropolis. “I am in discussions with several breweries to subcontract our production with our supervision. We will pass on our recipes, our know-how. My goal is to maintain our activity while we rebuild everything.”
At the same time, an online prize pool was launched to allow everyone to help the brewery within their means. The funds raised will be used to purchase stainless steel barrels in order to launch production with other brewers and to set up a physical point of sale in Croix to maintain direct sales. In 24 hours, more than 20,000 euros were raised.
A charred vat after the fire at the Cambier brewery in Croix (North) on the night of December 30 to 31, 2024.
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© Brasserie Cambier
A solidarity that is running at full speed, and which touches the founder’s heart. “On behalf of the entire team, I wanted to thank from the bottom of my heart all the people who showed their support to us during this ordeal: our families and friends, our community, our individual and professional customers, our fellow brewers, our partners, our elected officials…”he lists in a message on social networks, reminding loud and clear that despite the “drama”the Cambier brewery “is not dead”.
