Ancienne brasserie Motte-Cordonnier

Ancienne brasserie Motte-Cordonnier is a French brewing brand based in Armentières, in the Nord department of the Hauts-de-France region. Its history is unusually long: the official website states that the story begins in 1650, when Pierre Valenton is documented as a brewer in Armentières along a branch of the Lys river. The brewery passed through several families before entering the Motte-Cordonnier family in 1749, and ten generations of brewers followed between 1749 and 1989. The brand is therefore both a working beer label and the name associated with a protected industrial heritage site. The brewery was rebuilt after the First World War by René Motte in 1922, on a site along the Lys, with architect Georges Forest designing what was described as one of the largest modern breweries in northern France. In the 1970s, as the beer market consolidated around large mass-market players, Motte-Cordonnier was acquired by Brasserie Artois. The last family brewer, Bertrand Motte, died in 2018, and his children and grandchildren relaunched the Motte-Cordonnier brand that same year. Today the brand offers a range of craft-style beers brewed in Armentières, including the René, a 6% blonde bière de garde; the Bière de Famille, a 7% amber Christmas beer; the Emile, a triple; the 100 ans du Beffroi, a brown beer; and more recently the Louis, an alcohol-free blonde developed in partnership with the Institut Pasteur de Lille. The company also runs brewery visits, tastings and seminars from its base at the Ruche d'entreprises d'Armentières. The historic brewery buildings, including the former malting house and brewhouse, are inscribed as monuments historiques, and part of the site has been converted into housing under the Domaine Motte-Cordonnier programme.

The history of the Motte-Cordonnier brewery begins in Armentières in 1650, when Pierre Valenton is documented as a brewer along a branch of the Lys river, between what is now rue de Dunkerque and the filled-in river arm. The official website notes that some sources suggest earlier dates, but the written document attesting to 1650 is the earliest they hold. Valenton's son passed the brewery to Jean de Coussemacker, and in 1749 it entered the Motte-Cordonnier family through Jean-Baptiste Desmazières. From 1749 to 1989, ten generations of the family ran the brewery. The business combined brewing with malting. In 1870, Camille Cordonnier married Edmond Motte, who moved the brewery to the other side of rue de Dunkerque and had a malting house built there in 1891 by architect Émile Pilette. In 1898, René Motte succeeded his father. The brewery was destroyed during the First World War in 1916–1917, and René Motte rebuilt it in 1922 along the Lys, creating a "château usine" outside Armentières with architect Georges Forest; it became one of the largest modern breweries in northern France. Edmond Motte took over in 1953 and ran the brewery until 1968. Bertrand Motte, who had worked in the brewery, took the reins in 1969 and retired in 1989. By that time, through an alliance with the Artois group, the brewery was the third-largest French brewing group. In the 1970s, however, the beer market consolidated around large mass-market players driven by price/volume competition from supermarkets; Motte-Cordonnier was too large to be a microbrewery but too small to reach critical mass, and it was acquired by Brasserie Artois. Bertrand Motte, the last family brewer, died in 2018. That same year, his children and grandchildren relaunched the Motte-Cordonnier brand, brewing in Armentières and offering a range of beers. The historic site itself has been protected: in 1999, the former malting house and brewery, including the staircase and brewhouse, were inscribed as monuments historiques; in 2019 the protection was extended to the administration offices, the director's house, the cannetterie, the pumping station, the fermentation room and the mash tun room. In parallel, the Domaine Motte-Cordonnier reconversion programme planned 131 collective housing units across two listed buildings by 2023, with a first phase of about one hundred homes delivered in 2024. The brand continues to brew and to welcome visitors at the Ruche d'entreprises d'Armentières.

• 2026

  Fernand saison wins silver and alcohol-free Louis wins bronze at the France Bière Challenge.

• 2025

  René beer wins a gold medal at the Concours général agricole.

• 2024

  First phase of the Domaine Motte-Cordonnier conversion delivers about one hundred homes.

• 2019

  Heritage protection is extended to the administration offices, director's house, cannetterie, pumping station, fermentation room and mash tun room.

• 2018

  Bertrand Motte dies; his family relaunches the Motte-Cordonnier brand.

• 1999

  The former malting house and brewery, including staircase and brewhouse, are inscribed as monuments historiques.

• 1989

  Bertrand Motte retires; the brewery is then the third-largest French brewing group through its alliance with Artois.

• 1970

  Amid beer-market consolidation, the brewery is acquired by Brasserie Artois.

• 1969

  Bertrand Motte takes the reins of the brewery.

• 1953

  Edmond Motte takes over the brewery, running it until 1968.

• 1922

  René Motte rebuilds the brewery along the Lys with architect Georges Forest.

• 1916

  The brewery is destroyed during the First World War (1916–1917).

• 1898

  René Motte succeeds his father at the brewery.

• 1891

  A malting house is built by architect Émile Pilette.

• 1870

  Camille Cordonnier marries Edmond Motte, who moves the brewery across rue de Dunkerque.

• 1749

  The brewery enters the Motte-Cordonnier family through Jean-Baptiste Desmazières.

• 1650

  Pierre Valenton documented as a brewer in Armentières along a branch of the Lys, marking the start of the brewery's history.

Historic family brewing heritage revived as a craft beer brand, with brewery tours and tastings.

• René

  Blonde bière de garde, 6% ABV.

• Bière de Famille

  Amber Christmas beer, 7% ABV.

• Emile

  Triple beer.

• 100 ans du Beffroi

  Brown beer.

• Louis

  Alcohol-free blonde beer developed in partnership with the Institut Pasteur de Lille.

• Fernand

  Saison beer (mentioned in awards).

1. 1Bières Motte-Cordonnier - Brasserie à Armentières - Nordbieresmottecordonnier.fr
2. 2Bières Motte-Cordonnier - Découvrez notre histoirebieresmottecordonnier.fr
3. 3Ancienne brasserie Motte-Cordonnier - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Brasserie Motte-Cordonnier - Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org