Man on a mission (Bart Verhaeghe)

Andrew Catchpole talks to Bart Verhaeghe, one man on a crusade to bring more Belgian beer to Britain

Croydon, an area of London known for its binge-drinking culture and bouncerstudded bar strip, may seem an unlikely venue for a festival of rare and highly original artisanal Belgian beers. But beyond the boozing masses of the central streets is Beer Circus, one of those oasis of fine beer culture that are all too rare in Britain. With a 30-page list of global beers, this stripped down, music free bar, run by laid-back beer aficionado Graeme Harker, recently hosted just such an event.

This winter event was a showcase for the extraordinary Belgian portfolio of one man, Bart Verhaeghe, who is determined to make Belgian beer more than an occasional oddity in Britain.

A self-styled Belgian beer broker, the seeds of Verhaeghe’s company, Belgian Beer Import, were sown in 2002. As a British-based Belgian and lover of his native brews he set about contacting as many of the 100-odd traditional Belgian brewers still operating as he could and offering to act as a middleman and importer into Britain. By 2005 he had expanded his portfolio to 1,000 beers in response to demand from specialists like Graeme.

It’s a remarkable list and one that Verhaeghe believes offers a refreshing alternative to the big brand options offered by InBev.

“InBev has done a lot of good, raising the profile of Belgian beers, but has also limited understanding of quite how much the country’s brewers have to offer,” says Verhaeghe. “True, 85 per cent of people may never take to some of the flavours of these beers.....

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By Andrew Catchpole

Section : Spotlight

Page number : 65