Lambic brewery to open new visitor centre
The Timmermans brewery in Flemish Brabant is opening a new visitor centre on 3 June to teach the public about lambic. The spontaneously fermented beer has been produced at this farm-brewery in Itterbeek since 1702.
Some 3.5 million euros, including 600,000 euros in public subsidies, has been allocated to restore the farm to its former glory. “It has been a painstaking process to recreate the colours of the era and a deep dive into the archives to ensure the site is respected as much as possible,” said commercial director Jonathan Martin.
The brewery’s owner, the John Martin Group, is no stranger to heritage restoration. It also owns the Mont-Saint-Jean farm in Waterloo, where a microbrewery, a micro-distillery and a museum commemorating the former British hospital have been established. Today, the site attracts 100,000 visitors a year.
The Lambicus Experience Centre is expected to welcome half that number initially. Two options are available: a guided tour for groups and an interactive, app-based tour lasting around an hour for individual visitors, available in six languages.
A few period pieces are on display, such as a 19th-century grain crusher and a cooling tank dating from 1934. “This isn’t a museum; it’s the history of lambic being revealed in a way that respects the past while remaining accessible to new generations,” says CEO Anthony Martin.
#FlandersNewsService | The Timmermans brewery in Itterbeek © BELGA PHOTO AXEL CLEENEWERCK
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