Castelain Brewery - Our history

The art of brewing

Since 1926, brewing has no longer been a matter of chance at Bénifontaine, but rather is an art which has been passed down from generation to generation. From microbrewery to family business, Castelain Brewery has had a loyal following thanks to its artisanal beers and its respect for tradition.

Thoroughness, patience, authenticity : these have been the key words for Castelain bières de garde and seasonal beers since the creation of the brewery.

The History of a family

1966	1966 Renewal of the brewery	Roland Castelain and his wife are based in the ancient artisanal brewery of Bénifontaine in the heart of the Artois region.
1970-1978	1978 A new generation	Changing water into beer - this is the mission of Annick and Yves Castelain, the heirs to the founders of the brewery. Brewing beer while perpetuating the expertise built up by their parents is almost second nature for them.
1979	1979 And CH'TI Blonde was born	Yves Castelain brews an original bière de garde, of great quality and well-known all over the Nord Pas-de-Calais region : the famous beer CH’TI blonde. It was an instant success, making today CH’TI beers one of Northern France’s most outstanding products.
1980-1986	1986 Jade : first organic beer	The Northern French brewers are brewing the first organic beer in France. JADE is an expression of the environmental policy that has been developed by the artisanal brewery for almost thirty years.
2000-2001	2001 The Brewery is modernising	With the aim of creating speciality beers with ever more exceptional qualities, Brasserie Castelain is installing high technology bottling machines, a new tool which allows our northern beers to retain all of their indisputable qualities of taste.
2005	2005 Means equal to its ambitions	Faced with increasing success, the brewery added a new conditioning room. This increased its storage capacity from 5,000 to 7,000 hectolitres. This installation allows us to achieve an impeccable quality thanks to the long keeping period.
2007	2007 Maltesse is launched	Carried along by this hunger for quality and progress, the Castelain Brewery extended its range of beers and launched la Maltesse. Representing the culmination of ancestral expertise, this bière de garde holds many secrets.
2008	2008 The search for optimal quality	The Brasserie renovated its premises. The beer fermentation room gained a new look in order to meet new hygiene requirements and to make the brewer’s work easier.
2009	2009 The brewery increased its ecological commitments	For the Castelain Brewery, ecology means action not promises. For this reason it has acquired a new washer which allows us to decrease energy and water consumption while producing a large quantity of quality beer (45,000 hectolitres produced in 2009). A genuine answer for beer consumers concerned about sustainable development who really appreciate artisanal beer.