Brasserie Castelain

What Brasserie Castelain does

Brasserie Castelain is a family-owned independent specialty brewery founded in 1926 in Bénifontaine, in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France, currently led by Nicolas Castelain, representing the third generation of family ownership. The company produces 24 beer recipes across five brands: Castelain (premium high-fermentation and barrel-aged offerings), Ch'ti (the emblematic Bière de Garde of Northern France since 1979), Jade (France's first organic beer, launched in 1986), La Cadette (creative craft recipes), and La Cadette Bio (organic range for the MSB specialty retail network). Core production technology relies on traditional high fermentation combined with technique-specific methods including cold hopping for IPAs, enzymatic deglutenization for gluten-free SKUs (certified below 20 ppm by AFDIAG), and distillation-based alcohol removal for non-alcoholic variants.

The brewery is structured as a Société par Actions Simplifiée (SAS) with €3 million of share capital, 100% held by the founding family, with no external investors or subsidiaries. Operations are entirely French-based, with 89% of suppliers sourced locally, 100% recyclable packaging, and a bottle reuse partnership with Haut la Consigne. Revenue is generated through multiple channels: direct retail at the on-site Le Spot boutique and immersive visitor center, distribution to CHR (Café, Hôtel, Restaurant) professionals — with several SKUs flagged as CHR-exclusive — and specialty organic retailers (MSB) for the Cadette Bio and Jade lines. Distribution is domestic only, with operating geography limited to France.

Complementary revenue streams include museum visits, sensory tours, and private events at Le Spot, supported by organic Instagram and email newsletter marketing. The brewery holds AB organic certification (via ECOCERT), AFDIAG gluten-free certification, the PME+ ESG label, and GDPR-compliant data practices, with an 11-50 employee headcount consistent with a mid-sized French craft brewery.

Name

Brasserie Castelain

Legal name

Brasserie Castelain

Website

https://brasseriecastelain.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Brasserie Castelain is a third-generation, family-owned French craft brewery founded in 1926 in Bénifontaine, producing 24 specialty beer recipes across five brands (Castelain, Ch'ti, Jade, La Cadette, La Cadette Bio). It serves French consumers and CHR professionals through direct retail, organic specialty stores, and the Le Spot visitor center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Craft Brewing

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Breweries (312120)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE)

Keywords

• Specialty beer production
• Craft brewery
• Organic beer
• Gluten-free beer
• Regional French brewery

Headquarters

HQ city

Bénifontaine

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Beer production and sales: Production and sale of specialty beers under multiple brands (Castelain, Ch'ti, Jade, La Cadette, La Cadette Bio) across various formats including bottles, cans, and kegs. Primary revenue stream from alcoholic beverages.
2. Direct retail sales: Direct sales through Le Spot boutique/museum. Visitors can purchase beers directly at the brewery location.
3. Museum and visitor experiences: Revenue from museum visits, immersive tours, and event bookings at Le Spot. Reservations available for individuals and private seminars.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Brasserie Castelain is a family-owned brewery established in 1926 in Bénifontaine, France, that produces specialty beers under five brands: Castelain (premium tasting beers), Ch'ti (traditional Bière de Garde), Jade (France's first organic beer), La Cadette, and La Cadette Bio. The brewery also operates Le Spot, an immersive visitor experience and museum at its historic site, offering tastings, museum tours, and direct retail sales.

Product overview

Brasserie Castelain is a family-owned and independent specialty beer brewery established in 1926, producing beers across four distinct brands: Castelain (premium tasting beers including Grand Cru, IPA, and barrel-aged Cuvées), Ch'ti (traditional Bière de Garde from Northern France), Jade (France's first organic beer launched in 1986), and La Cadette/La Cadette Bio (creative and organic offerings). The brewery operates Le Spot, an immersive visitor experience at its historic Bénifontaine site, offering museum tours, tastings, and a boutique.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Castelain: Beer tasting brand featuring high fermentation beers including Grand Cru, IPA, Session Pale Ale, NEIPA, Imperial, Summer Ale, Winter Ale, and barrel-aged Cuvées (n°1, n°2, n°3).
• Ch'ti
• Jade
• La Cadette
• La Cadette Bio

Products and services

• Castelain Premium tasting beers of high fermentation including Grand Cru, IPA, Session Pale Ale, NEIPA, Imperial, seasonal Summer Ale and Winter Ale, and limited edition Cuvées aged in Burgundy and Bourbon barrels.
• Ch'ti Emblematic beers of the 'Bière de Garde' tradition from Northern France, featuring Blonde, Ambrée, Triple, IPA, Fruits Rouges, and Sans Alcool varieties.
• Jade Organic beers first created in France in 1986, including Blonde, Blanche, Ambrée, Sans Gluten, and Sans Alcool varieties, certified by Ecocert and AFDIAG.
• La Cadette Original creative brews featuring Blondy Velvet lager, Tropical Blast IPA, Super Nova New England IPA, and Red Sunset fruits rouges, available in bottles and cans.
• La Cadette Bio Organic beer range exclusive to specialized organic retail (MSB), featuring Blonde, Ambrée, Blanche, Sans Gluten, and Sans Alcool options.
• Le Spot Immersive museum, tasting space, outdoor area and boutique offering a 360-degree experience discovering nearly a century of Castelain history and expertise, located at the historic brewery.
• Jade 0,0% The first organic and alcohol-free beer created in France, part of the Jade brand lineup, symbolizing the brewery's commitment to responsible consumption.

Quantifiable outcome

• First organic beer in France - Jade launched 1986
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Haut la ConsignecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for bottle reuse and recycling. In partnership with Haut la Consigne, Brasserie Castelain enables their glass bottles to have a longer lifecycle, reducing ecological footprint. Bottles can be deposited at Haut la Consigne collection points throughout France.
• ECOCERT FRANCE SAScoreOthersOrganic certification body controlling the origin of raw materials and manufacturing for Jade organic beers. Certified AB (Agriculture Biologique) with ECOCERT controlling ECOCERT FRANCE SAS (FR-BIO-01).
• AFDIAGcoreOthersAssociation Française Des Intolérants Au Gluten. Annual certification for Jade Sans Gluten, controlled by accredited external laboratory for each production batch.
• YourwebcomminorOthersWebsite design and development agency responsible for brasseriecastelain.com.
• Local farmers and agricultural cooperativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecovery of draff (brewery by-product) by local farmers and agricultural cooperatives for animal feed. On average, 25kg of draff produced per hectoliter of beer brewed. Draff has interesting nutritional value and significant recovery potential.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BrewDog: Large-scale craft brewery with global distribution and strong brand presence, including in France. Represents the emerging and scaling craft competitor that Castelain competes against for consumer attention and modern craft positioning.
• Kronenbourg (Carlsberg Group): France's largest brewery owned by Carlsberg Group, based in Alsace. Represents the broad incumbent comparison: large-scale mainstream brewing that competes with Castelain for CHR and retail shelf space in France.
• Pelforth (Heineken France): Historic French brewery brand owned by Heineken, with strong Northern France roots. Broad incumbent peer sharing regional origins but operating at vastly larger scale through mainstream distribution.

Direct peers

• Brasserie La Choulette: French family-owned craft brewery in Hordain (Nord region) producing traditional Bière de Garde specialties. Direct peer sharing Castelain's terroir, brewing heritage, and family-ownership profile in the same Hauts-de-France region.
• Brasserie Thiriez: Independent craft brewery in Esquelbecq (Nord) producing artisanal beers with traditional French brewing techniques. Comparable small-scale craft positioning and Northern French heritage focus.
• Brasserie de Saint-Sylvestre: Independent French craft brewery located in Nord-Pas-de-Calais that produces traditional Bière de Garde beers (including the famous 3 Monts brand). Directly comparable to Brasserie Castelain in heritage, regional origin, Bière de Garde style, and craft positioning.
• Brasserie de l'Abbaye de Scourmont (Chimay): Trappist brewery producing traditional Belgian specialty ales with similar heritage positioning and export distribution. Comparable through its certified specialty positioning and tourism/museum component.
• Brasserie 3 Ponts: Belgian-style craft brewery located near the French border in Belgium, producing traditional specialty ales. Comparable craft brewery scale and specialty beer portfolio similar to Castelain's premium Castelain range.
• Brasserie Duyck (Jenlain): Independent brewery in Jenlain, Northern France, producing traditional regional Bière de Garde styles. Closely comparable to Castelain in geography, product style, and specialty craft positioning.

Regional players

• Brasserie Castelain competitor: Page 24/Brasserie du Pays Flamand: Independent craft brewery in Blaringhem, Hauts-de-France, producing traditional Bière de Garde and specialty craft beers. Highly comparable to Castelain in geography, scale, and craft positioning within the same regional market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/brasseriecastelain
• Xx.com/biere_castelain

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brasserie Castelain