Like father, like daughter
Five years ago, farmer Johan Van der Bauwhede put his tractor on hold for a while, and started a brewing course at Syntra West in Kortrijk. His wife Gudrun proudly talks about his first 50L brew kettle. Every weekend Johan locked himself up in the barn on the farm, trial and error, tasting and re-tasting to find a recipe that was completely in line with his taste.
The brewed beer was presented with a small heart to friends and family, and after much enthusiasm poured on any occasion that called for it.
A hobby first became a proud passion, then even a profession.
Like father, like daughter. That's what Johan thought when one day he asked his recently graduated daughter if she wanted to join him on a trip to the Netherlands to see a large brewing facility.
The seed was laid and not much later, daughter Valerie took the brewing course herself.
"Beer is still perceived as a man's drink, wrongly so", Valerie wants to break that taboo. "I personally like bitter beers. But our Golden Tripel is an all-rounder: fresh and nicely balanced, with several malts but not too hoppy (so it is no IPA). You can taste the herbs of course, but not excessively so.".
The Golden Tripel, hopefully the first beer of many to come, is enjoyed by all, but at the same time it is unparallelled in its unique flavour.
Today the agricultural sector is facing major challenges. The farmer has to keep reinventing himself, spotting opportunities, jumping on the cart. In addition to the primary agricultural activities, the Terrest farm already has a vacation farm and a party room. A brewery is perfectly integrated into the domain.
The barley and hops are grown on the back of the Terrest hill. After harvesting, the brewers put on their other caps and process the products in the farm brewery. There are no intermediate links. Our independence and flexibility are our greatest assets. The short chain is completed by direct sales to consumers, retail and catering.
The result is a fresh and spicy farm beer, ideal as an appetiser, with a fresh salad or juicy meat, but also when thirst calls. Cheers!
