We're moving!

Sometimes there are those moments when you have to pause and think: how did we actually get here?

At the beginning of this month, we received the keys to Strijkviertel 27 in Utrecht. And that means that by the end of this year, we will be moving to a new home base for vandeStreek beer.

A sentence that we ourselves still need to let sink in a bit.

From hobby to brewery

In 2013, we started as two brothers with a hobby that slowly got out of hand. After a few years of home brewing, we decided it was time to make it serious. First, we rented kettles from other breweries, until, at the end of 2016, we could finally open our own brewery at Ontariodreef in Overvecht.

And honestly? That building felt gigantic at the time.

We brewed ourselves, bottled ourselves, and sometimes even loaded the truck ourselves. Everything revolved around making beer and ensuring the next bill could be paid.

Ten years later, we work with a team of about 30 colleagues, brew approximately 15,000 hectoliters of beer per year, and you can find our beers throughout the Netherlands and beyond.

Time for the next step

In recent years, we've actually outgrown our current space.

We now operate from two buildings on Ontariodreef: the warehouse and office at number 31, and the brewery and tasting room at number 43. It works, but it's not ideal. We want to be under one roof again. Moreover, we want room to grow further, try out new ideas, and continue to invest in the future of the brewery.

So we started looking. And that proved to be easier said than done.

For five years, we looked at everything: new construction, existing buildings, renting, buying, renovating. Each time, something didn't fit. And with the current challenges surrounding grid congestion, it didn't get any easier.

Until we found Strijkviertel.

Why Strijkviertel?

Because it feels like a place where we can move forward for years to come.

We will have more space, can work more efficiently, and have the opportunity to grow significantly in the future. In fact, if everything goes according to plan, we can eventually become four times larger at this location than we are now.

To make this possible, we are immediately investing in solar panels, batteries, a completely new bottling line, and extra tanks.

This is not only an investment in growth, but also in a future-proof brewery.

Will there be another tasting room?

That is probably the question we get most often since we announced the move.

The short answer: we really hope so.

The slightly longer answer: we depend on permits for that. We will do everything we can to create a place again where you can drink our beers where they are made.

As soon as we know more about it, you will of course be the first to hear.

To the future!

The coming months will be dedicated to making plans, renovating, installing, moving, and probably a little bit of stress now and then.

But most of all, we're really looking forward to it.

Because as special as the last ten years have been, it feels like we've only just begun.

Cheers,

Ronald, Sander and the entire vandeStreek bier team 🍻