The Cambier Brewery, located in Croix, France, has faced significant challenges following a fire on December 31, 2023, which led to complete destruction of the building and its brewing equipment. Early reports suggest the fire originated next door, at Euro Pare-Brise+, casting doubts about the potential for future operations at Cambier.
Jean-Christophe Cambier, the owner and founder of the brewery, was on vacation when the fire broke out. "I was on vacation at the mountains when the fire started," he recounted. Upon his return on January 4, he assessed the damages, noting, "The production, the tanks, the brewery… everything is out of service, there’s not much left to recover. The building will be completely razed." Cambier finds himself as a “collateral victim” of the neighboring fire, awaiting details on the cause, which remains under investigation.
Despite the calamity, there is a silver lining. Cambier was relieved to discover his beer stock remained intact, stored safely away from the fire’s reach. This buffer means he can continue selling his beers at his bar, Sikaru, located in Lille, for up to six weeks, helping to maintain some flow of revenue until production can resume. "My stock is intact, as it was stored in another building. We'll be able to continue selling our beers at our bar Sikaru and supply our professional clients for about one to one and half months," Cambier stated.
Looking forward, Cambier is determined to bounce back swiftly. He has received multiple calls from fellow brewers eager to help produce his beers, proving the strength and solidarity within the brewing community. "I've received numerous calls from colleagues willing to brew my beers who are located within the region, across France, or even Belgium. I’m trying to see who I can work with to maintain the same production volume along with quality and regularity of our beers. I want there to be no differences, and I will be there to oversee the process," he explained.
On top of these brewing collaborations, Cambier is committed to continuing the tradition of crafting unique beers, planning to introduce one or two limited editions monthly. While he cannot guarantee there won’t be stock shortages during the first couple of weeks of January, he is optimistic. "I can't promise there won't be supply issues initially, but I've already lined up calls and meetings to set everything up and I can offer beers from friends meanwhile," Cambier shared.
The tragedy at Cambier Brewery also illuminates the community's support, as Cambier has initiated an online crowdfunding campaign aimed at raising funds to purchase new equipment, particularly stainless steel kegs for production and to set up a temporary container for on-site sales to the public. "The funds raised will be used to quickly buy the 20-liter stainless steel barrels to produce at our fellow brewers’ places and to install a container for maintaining sales on-site to our private customers," he stated.
With the current site deemed unfit for rebuilding, there's also the looming question about the brewery's future location. Cambier expressed his desire to remain within Lille’s metropolitan area, aiming to establish another urban brewery with easy public transport access. "For now, everything is up for discussion; we don't know yet. What we do know is we want to remain within the Lille metropolitan area. I want us to still be a human-sized urban brewery, accessible by public transport, with a taproom. And for next time, we want to make it even greater," he concluded.
While many challenges lie ahead for Cambier Brewery, the resilience and resourcefulness shown by Jean-Christophe and the community signal promise for the future. This story of determination and support is one to follow as Cambier embarks on the long road to recovery and rejuvenation.