John Martin Brewery

John Martin is a Belgian family-owned brewing business based in Genval, in Walloon Brabant. The company was established in 1909 by the English businessman John Martin, who was born in 1886 and died in 1966. Although the business bears the founder’s name, its identity has developed around a combination of brewing, beverage distribution, brand stewardship, and hospitality-oriented brewery projects rather than around a single beer label. The company’s principal activity is the production of Belgian-style ales. Its portfolio is associated with a range of traditional Belgian beer categories, including specialty ales and lambic-based beers. John Martin also imports British and Irish beers, giving the business a cross-Channel profile that reflects its founder’s English background. The company is described as the world’s oldest Guinness distributor, an important part of its historical position in the Belgian beer trade. A major expansion of the business’s brewing portfolio came in 1993, when John Martin acquired Timmermans Brewery in Itterbeek. Timmermans traces its own brewing history to 1702 and is associated with lambic and other traditional Belgian beer styles. The acquisition connected John Martin with one of Belgium’s long-established lambic producers and strengthened its presence in specialty and spontaneously fermented beer categories. John Martin has also developed brewing sites linked to historically and culturally significant beer locations. In 2015, it opened Brasserie de Waterloo at Mont Saint-Jean, near the Waterloo battlefield site. In 2016, it opened a Bourgogne des Flandres brewery in Bruges. These projects broadened the company beyond production and distribution by linking beer brands with visitor destinations, local heritage, and place-based storytelling. In addition to beer, the company produces soft drinks for Schweppes under licence. This activity gives John Martin a wider beverage role than a conventional independent brewery, combining alcoholic and non-alcoholic products within its operating portfolio. The company remains a family business and is currently run by Anthony Martin, the founder’s grandson. Its present identity therefore combines historical continuity, Belgian specialty brewing, imported British and Irish beverages, licensed soft drinks, and brewery destinations in Belgium.

John Martin Brewery was founded in 1909 in Genval, Walloon Brabant, by John Martin, an English businessman born in 1886. The company developed as a family enterprise in Belgium, combining brewing with beverage importation and distribution. Its founder’s English background helped shape the business’s long-standing relationship with British and Irish beer. The company is recognized as the oldest Guinness distributor in the world. The brewery’s core production has centered on Belgian-style ales, while its broader beverage activities have included the import of British and Irish beers. John Martin also produces Schweppes soft drinks under licence, giving the business a presence in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. This mixed operating model distinguishes it from a brewery focused exclusively on its own beer production. A significant change in the company’s portfolio occurred in 1993, when John Martin acquired Timmermans Brewery in Itterbeek. Timmermans had been founded in 1702 and possessed a long association with lambic brewing. The acquisition brought an historic lambic producer into the John Martin family and expanded the group’s reach in traditional Belgian specialty beer. The company later invested in brewery locations connected with Belgian heritage and tourism. In 2015, it opened Brasserie de Waterloo at Mont Saint-Jean. The following year, it opened a Bourgogne des Flandres brewery in Bruges. These sites demonstrate an approach that combines brewing with location-based brand experiences and the preservation or presentation of regional beer traditions. John Martin remains a family business. The company is currently run by Anthony Martin, the grandson of its founder. Its historical development therefore spans more than a century, moving from the original Genval brewery into specialty beer production, international beer distribution, licensed soft drinks, acquired heritage breweries, and destination brewing sites. The available reference material does not establish a separate corporate parent, public listing, or independently reported financial profile.

1. 2016Bourgogne des Flandres brewery opens in Bruges

   John Martin opened a Bourgogne des Flandres brewery in Bruges.

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2. 2015Brasserie de Waterloo opens

   The company opened Brasserie de Waterloo at Mont Saint-Jean.

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3. 1993Timmermans Brewery is acquired

   John Martin acquired Timmermans Brewery in Itterbeek, a brewery with a history reaching back to 1702.

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4. 1966Death of founder John Martin

   The company’s founder, John Martin, died in 1966. The business continued as a family enterprise.

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5. 1909John Martin Brewery is founded

   English businessman John Martin founded the brewery in Genval, Walloon Brabant, Belgium.

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A heritage-oriented Belgian family brewery and beverage company combining traditional Belgian beer production, lambic expertise, imported British and Irish beers, licensed soft drinks, and destination breweries.

• Belgian-style alesBeer

  Belgian-style ales are the company’s principal brewing category. The portfolio is associated with the broad Belgian tradition of specialty ales, encompassing beers positioned around regional brewing character and established Belgian beer culture. The available reference material does not provide a complete list of individual labels or detailed specifications for each ale.

• Timmermans beersLambic and specialty beer1993

  Timmermans became part of the John Martin business after the 1993 acquisition of Timmermans Brewery in Itterbeek. The brewery’s history dates to 1702, and its significance within the portfolio is tied to lambic and traditional Belgian specialty brewing. The reference material does not specify individual product launches or current sales figures.

• Guinness distributionImported beer distribution

  John Martin imports and distributes British and Irish beers and is described as the world’s oldest Guinness distributor. This is a distribution role rather than a claim that Guinness is brewed by John Martin. The relationship forms part of the company’s historic cross-Channel beverage identity.

• Schweppes licensed soft drinksSoft drinks

  The company produces soft drinks for Schweppes under licence. This activity extends John Martin’s operations beyond beer into non-alcoholic beverages, although the supplied reference material does not identify specific products, production volumes, or territories.

• Brasserie de WaterlooBrewery and beer destination2015

  Brasserie de Waterloo is a John Martin brewery opened in 2015 at Mont Saint-Jean. Its location connects beer production with the cultural and historical identity of the Waterloo area. The available material identifies the site and opening year but does not provide a full product range.

• Bourgogne des Flandres breweryBrewery and beer destination2016

  The Bourgogne des Flandres brewery in Bruges opened in 2016. It represents John Martin’s expansion into a place-based brewing operation in one of Belgium’s best-known historic cities. The supplied material does not detail the site’s complete brewing program or visitor facilities.

• 2016Open Bourgogne des Flandres brewery in BrugesStrategy

  John Martin continued developing brewery sites connected with Belgian beer heritage and destination experiences.

  What changed. The company opened a Bourgogne des Flandres brewery in Bruges.

  Aftermath. The Bruges site broadened John Martin’s physical brewing and brand-presence network in Belgium.

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• 2015Open Brasserie de WaterlooStrategy

  The company developed a brewery at Mont Saint-Jean, a location associated with the Waterloo battlefield and Belgian heritage tourism.

  What changed. John Martin opened Brasserie de Waterloo in 2015.

  Aftermath. The opening expanded the company’s network of location-based brewing activities.

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• 1993Acquire Timmermans BreweryM&A

  John Martin sought to expand its traditional Belgian specialty-beer presence through the purchase of Timmermans Brewery in Itterbeek, whose brewing history dates to 1702.

  What changed. The company acquired Timmermans Brewery and incorporated its lambic heritage into the broader John Martin portfolio.

  Aftermath. The acquisition strengthened John Martin’s connection with lambic and long-established Belgian brewing traditions.

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• 2016Bourgogne des Flandres brewery opens in Bruges

  John Martin opened a Bourgogne des Flandres brewery in Bruges, adding another location-based brewing and visitor destination to its Belgian portfolio.

  Product launch
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• 2015Brasserie de Waterloo opens at Mont Saint-Jean

  The company opened a new brewery at Mont Saint-Jean near Waterloo, extending its activities into a historically significant destination associated with the Waterloo battlefield.

  Other
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• 1993John Martin acquires Timmermans Brewery

  John Martin purchased Timmermans Brewery in Itterbeek, adding a brewery with roots dating to 1702 and strengthening its position in lambic and traditional Belgian beer.

  M&A
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1. John Martin Brewery
2. Anthony Martin official website