Historic
150 years love and know-how !
Everything began in 1858 when Martin BELOT, farmer in Purnode, started brewing a beer in his farm. In the very beginning, the beer was only brewed in the winter, when there was no work for his farmworkers on the fields.
The discovery of a well of water of outstanding quality and quantity close to the farm was, of course, an additional asset.
The brewery proposed a very wide range of products, going from table-beer to strong beers, passing through a large mix of densities, colours, bitterness and tastes.
The brewer distributed the beers himself to his customers, mostly within a few kilometers around the brewery. It was after the first worldwar that the beer
La GAULOISE, top-fermented brown beer, started to be brewed.
From the very beginning, this beer has been very successful. La Gauloise brown is nowadays the oldest beer brewed and produced by Brasserie du Bocq.
Brasserie du Bocq was a PLC since 1949.
100% family concern, the brewery still remains independent of all Belgian or foreign brewing groups. All the farmactivities and door-to-door deliveries were definitely stopped in 1960. The delivery of the beers started through supermarkets, drinkmarkets and beermerchants.
By taking over the Brasserie Centrale de Marbaix-la-Tour in 1967, Brasserie du Bocq added two new beers to its range of products : SAISON REGAL and BOCQ CHRISTMAS.
The Belot family decided at that period to specialize in the production of special top-fermented beers with refermentation in the bottle.
In 1983, Brasserie du Bocq stopped all production at Brasserie Centrale de Marbaix-la-Tour in order to concentrate the entire production of beers in Purnode where the production equipment is being modernized with own cash.
Taking advantage of the query for traditional beers, Brasserie du Bocq started with the exportation of its products. And this became a success. Indeed, Belgian beers have an excellent reputation all over the world.
Brasserie du Bocq exports mainly to France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, Great Britain, Spain, Switzerland, Finland, Australia, Japan …
The production volume has doubled in seven years and reached almost 60.000 hectolitres in 2000.
With actual sales of more than 6.250.000 Euros, Brasserie du Bocq is considered as being one of the most important independent breweries of Wallonia.
The beers produced are : AGRUMBOCQ, REDBOCQ, APPLEBOCQ, La GAULOISE BLONDE, BRUNE and AMBREE, SAINT BENOIT BLONDE and BRUNE, BLANCHE DE NAMUR, SAISON REGAL, TRIPLE MOINE, DEUGNIET, BOCQ CHRISTMAS and can be savoured under any circumstances.
Moreover, Brasserie du Bocq has the necessary production facilities and adequate sales department in order to bear a contract brewing production. This way, the company provides an outstanding know-how and industrial tool to its customers.
Today, nothing has changed in Purnode, at least in the art of brewing. Even if the company has widely extended its local activities, it nevertheless remains a family concern.
Be sure this story will last for many years and that the beers of the Brasserie du Bocq will animate for ever and ever this charming little village of Purnode.
Article number: FBB20440