FAB : soutenez une brasserie engagée, locale et écologique !

Update on 31/08/2020: Wow! Almost 15,000 € of contributions in just a month! We are amazed, flattered and so, so, grateful to everyone who has helped us out. This project is coming to life! We've extended this campaign until mid-September with a higher goal, given this success. This extra money would allow us to adjust some investments to be higher quality and more durable, and possibly acquire a semi-automatic bottling machine.

 

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FAB is a project created by Rose and Jonathan, and includes a brewery, recycled arts and crafts, and two holiday homes (gîtes). FAB is founded on the core principles of offering hand made, local products with the smallest possible environmental impact.

The brewery, which has been running for 18 months so far, is where we brew our first beer, Double Entendre, in 100L batches in just 14 m2 (150 sq. foot). We have reached the point where we need to expand the brewery in order to produce more, offer a wider range of beers, and begin to sell kegs.

In order to expand, we need your help! We have chosen to run this crowdfunding campaign because we truly believe in the spirit of mutual aid and support within the local community. In exchange for your support, we are offering lots of generous, one-off, rewards.

We are a bilingual duo with a double English-French culture, based in the forest of the Double - hence the names of our beers!

 

 

Jonathan spent 12 years working as an IT engineer in Paris, while also learning to (home) brew (in our kitchen!).

He returned to where he grew up, Siorac-de-Riberac, in 2017, and recently graduated with honours from an advanced brewing course at the University of La Rochelle.

 

 

 

Rose is a designer at heart. With roots in architecture, art, graphic and web design, she runs all the design aspects of the project.

She is the second set of hands in the brewery, and manages bottling and labelling. She also runs creative workshops and sells her recycled creations as part of the FAB project.

We strongly believe in preferring local products, both to reduce the impact on the environment, but also simply because of their higher quality.

All our beers are unfiltered, unpasteurised, and brewed using traditional methods in the most local and eco-friendly way possible.

This ethos comes to life in many small ways: our choice of suppliers, the origin and delivery method of our raw ingredients, our use of recycled (or, even better, reusable) packaging, our choice of cleaning products…

Since February 2018, we have been brewing Double Entendre, our first beer, a slightly Frenchified version of a typical British bitter: a first taste of caramel leads on to a clean bitter finish. This is a well rounded beer that is just as good to drink refreshingly cold in summer, as at a more moderate temperature by the fire in winter.

We have had a lot of really good feedback on this first beer, which seems to be a real crowd-pleaser!

Double Entendre is available in local produce shops, restaurants and bars in a 20 km radius around the brewery. We also go to many local farmers markets/producers markets in the area, particularly in the summer season, and of course also sell directly from the brewery.

This is our flagship beer, and given its success and our very small production capacity, we have so far chosen not to produce any others, in order to keep up with demand (or to at least try to!)

We have now reached the limit of our production capacity with the current brewery. We brew just one beer, in batches of 100 litres, every 5 days on average, making about 500 litres per month... but we still never manage to build up much stock!

A brew takes about 2 days all together (brewing, cleaning, transfering, bottling, labeling, packaging ...) and of course we also spend time delivering beer, ordering ingredients and packaging, doing the accounting, maintaining equipment, etc... so it is impossible to brew more with our current set-up.

 

This is preventing the project moving forwards for several reasons:

1. We never have enough stock (or time) to approach new sales outlets (shops, bars and restaurants) to sell our beer   

2. We don’t have the capacity to expand our range (we would love to be able to offer a wider range of beers: pale, dark, hoppy, fruity...

3. Any small snag in the production process means we risk being out of stock for existing customers and outlets

4. We are not set up to offer beer in kegs or casks, which are often requested for events, and are often necessary to sell to bars.

To overcome these problems, we plan to expand with: 

1. a larger brewery (although it would be hard to be any smaller than our current 14 m2!)

2. brewing equipment with a bigger production capacity

On our property, an old farmhouse, we have a large empty barn that would make an excellent brewery. The walls and the roof are solid, but it would need some work before installing the brewery: floor and drainage, water, electricity, waste water plumbing, ...

We then plan to install brewing equipment with a production capacity of 700 litres. With the right equipment, this means we will be able to brew 7 times more beer, in the same amount of time! This will be a huge boost for the brewery, finally giving us the ability to build up some stock and begin producing other beers - and even kegs.

Once the new brewery is set up, we plan to:

1. Build up a decent supply of Double Entendre

2. Brew three new beers

3. Take advantage of the freed up time to approach new sales outlets

4. Start the production of beer in kegs and casks, which will allow us to sell to bars, village fêtes and weddings.

7 times bigger!? Aren’t you biting off more than you can chew?

It is a big jump, but this is a project we’ve been thinking about for a while now, and Jonathan likes to invest in a good deal when he sees one… 😄 So we’ve actually already found some very well priced second hand equipment, which happens to work out at a slightly larger capacity than we may need at first. But better too much than too little, especially to avoid having to expand again too soon...

The COVID-19 crisis and lockdown in early 2020 gave us a bit of extra time to prepare some new recipes, that we’re revealing exclusively here ✨

 

A pale ale with unsold bread 🥖

This is our most local beer yet: part of the malted barley is replaced with unsold bread from a local bakery and the hops come the first harvest of a new producer in the Lot et Garonne (about 100 km away).

This reduces our carbon footprint in two ways:

1. less road transport, for the local ingredients

2. less waste, since we are giving a second life to unsold bread.

This pale ale will therefore be called Double Vie.

 

Dark oatmeal porter

On the other end of the scale from Double Vie, Double Impact is a very dark porter. The first ‘impact’ is torrefied and malty, almost sweet with the typical oatmeal velvety mouthfeel, balanced with a second ‘impact’, a clean bitterness to finish.

Today we are asking for your help to take this important next step in our project - one that we could not take without you. In return, we want to show our gratitude with some exciting rewards that we have made as generous as possible!

The detail of these rewards is in the column to the right - but here is a quick overview (in English!):

From left to right: Holiday homes with pool at FAB, recycled malt bag for 6 beers, personalised beer bottles for a wedding

All these rewards will be available after the expansion of the brewery, at the beginning of 2021.

Remember, all our rewards can be bought as gifts for someone else!

If you would like to make a donation without a reward (in which case, thank you so very much !!! ❤️), you can also select the first box “Don sans contrepartie”.

Do you have a question about the possible rewards? Contact us on facebook or by email - we would love to hear from you! We would be happy to make some small changes to give you the reward that suits you perfectly :)

If you don’t want to make a payment online, it is also possible to pay in cash at the brewery, or to send a cheque to the following address:

FAB, Le Grand Bost, 24600 Siorac-de-Ribérac, France

To have your donation added to the crowdfunding, please be sure to include a note with your name, telephone number, email address and, of course, your choice of reward so we can contact you to thank you and to give you your gifts!

Rewards (contreparties)

We are unfortunately unable to add English translations of the rewards (contreparties) that you can see down the right hand side of this page, so here is a full, translated list of the rewards levels:

1. For 10 € or more: Big thanks! Your name will be on the label of our special crowdfunding brew (and we'll give you a sample at the brewery anytime) and we'll send you some unique gifts (ie hand-made ceramic beer mat, bottle opener, stickers, eco-cups...).
   Delivery: preferably pick-up at the brewery in 2021 with a sample of the special crowdfunding beer or we can send the gifts for free in Europe.
2. For 25 € or more: A case of 12 x 33 cL bottles of beer of your choice (a mixture is fine) + the same as the above level.
   Delivery: Pick up at the brewery in 2021.
3. For 50 € or more: Same as above with two cases of beer, so 24 bottles + a private brewery tour and 25% off all your purchases on the day of the tour!
   Delivery: Pick up at the brewery in 2021.
4. For 60 € or more: For those that can't make it to the brewery: a case of 12 beers of your choosing, including the special crowdfunding brew delivered anywhere in France (sorry, we're not allowed to deliver beer abroad!) + unique gifts (ie hand-made ceramic beer mat, bottle opener, stickers, eco-cups...) + a bag for 6 beers made from a recycled malt sack + 10% discount for life + many many thanks!
   Delivery: Included to any French address for beers and gifts (or contact us to see if we can arrange special delivery to your home)
5. For 75 € or more: Same as the 50 € level above + 10% discount for life + a bag for 6 beers made from a recycled malt sack + huge thanks!
   Delivery: Pick up at the brewery in 2021 or at the same time as your brewery tour with 25% off on that day.
6. For 100 € or more: Same as the 75 € level above with 3 cases of beer, so 36 bottles + a giant bottle with your name on (see last photo below)
   Delivery: Pick up at the brewery in 2021 or at the same time as your brewery tour with 25% off on that day.
7. For 125 € or more: One year beer subscription! A case of 12 bottles every 3 months for a year from the brewery opening + 15% discount for life + all other rewards from the previous level (giant bottle with your name on, bag for 6 beers made from a recycled malt sack, private brewery tour, 25% off all your purchases on the day of the tour, your name on the special crowdfunding beer, unique gifts)
   Delivery: Pick up at the brewery in 2021 or at the same time as your brewery tour with 25% off on that day, anytime from when the brewery opens, then every 3 months (if you can't make it regularly, we'll keep your beer for you)
8. For 180 € or more: Spend an afternoon in the brewery with Jonathan to learn how to brew a beer of your choice (based on a variety of possible styles) + get 100 bottles of your brew to take home with a personalised label designed by Rose + 15% discount for life + all other perks (except beer) from the above level.
   Delivery: On-site experience at the brewery in 2021, date to be chosen together, then 2-3 weeks later you'll come back to bottle and label your 100 beers to take home. Brewery tour with 25% discount can be on a different day.
9. For 200 € or more: One year 'double' beer subscription! Same as the 125 € level with 2 cases every 3 months.
   Delivery: Pick up at the brewery in 2021 or at the same time as your brewery tour with 25% off on that day, anytime from when the brewery opens, then every 3 months (if you can't make it regularly, we'll keep your beer for you)
10. For 250 € or more: A weekend in one of our fully-equipped holiday homes (gîtes) with swimming pool for up to 5 people sharing (2 double beds + 1 single) + a simple meal together when you arrive + 24 beers in the fridge for your stay + 20% off for life (on-site or online) + all other perks (except beer) from the above levels.
    Delivery: On-site experience, dates to be chosen together from 2021, from mid-September to mid-June only.
11. For 320 € or more: One year beer subscription for those that can't make it to the brewery: two cases of 12 beers delivered every 3 months + bag for 6 beers made from a recycled malt sack + your name on the special crowdfunding beer + unique gifts + 15% discount for life (on-site or online)
    Delivery: Included to any French address for beers and gifts (or contact us to see if we can arrange special delivery to your home)
12. For 375 € or more: Two year 'double' beer subscription! Same as the 200 € level with 2 cases every 3 months for two years (that's 192 beers) + 20% discount for life.
    Delivery: Pick up at the brewery in 2021 or at the same time as your brewery tour with 25% off on that day, anytime from when the brewery opens, then every 3 months (if you can't make it regularly, we'll keep your beer for you)
13. For 550 € or more: We'll make the reward personal and tailored to your tastes: an unforgettable meal together (could be a barbecue feast, a meal in a unique location, haute cuisine...) and you can 'adopt' one of the brewery's tanks that will be decorated with your name on by Rose + a box of each of our beers + 20% discount for life + all other perks (except beer) from the above levels.
    Delivery: Dates to be agreed together from 2021.
14. For 990 € or more: Discover the full FAB experience over a long weekend (up to 4 days and 4 people): stay in one of our gites (we can pick you up from the airport/station if necessary) + a welcome meal when you arrive + brewery tour + join in a brew day + creative workshop with Rose + a traditional Perigord meal + lots of time to relax in the countryside / by the pool and plenty of beer to go around + 20% discount for life.
    Delivery: Dates to be agreed together from 2021, from mid-September to mid-June only.

 

The project is made up of two essential parts,  works to convert the barn, and the brewery equipment itself. 

More precisely, we have estimated the cost of these first two points at around 13,500 €. However, of this amount, we have already purchased 3,200 € worth of brewing tanks over the past year or so (we have been on the lookout for great secondhand deals for a while now!), so the total amount we need to expand the brewery in 2020 is just a little more than 10,000 €.

When you donate to this fundraising campaign, we promise to give you a gift (or reward) in exchange, once the expanded brewery is operational. This is the principle of rewards-based crowdfunding.

This has three advantages :

1. The money you donate is a little like an advance: right after the campaign, in September, we can invest 100% of this lump sum in the brewery expansion! Once the brewery is installed and up and running, in early 2021, we will begin to produce your rewards - making the most of our new larger capacity brewing equipment! This delay between receiving your donations and giving out the rewards will really help us advance our project. 

2. Therefore, we want to offer some really generous rewards (beers at low prices, original gifts, unique experiences, and lifetime discounts) that we would never have imagined otherwise. We hope that this will encourage enough people to donate that we reach at least 6000 € (below 60% of our goal we receive no funding, and your donation will be refunded).

3. We also want to use this campaign as an opportunity to get the word out about our project and our products. The idea is that it is a win-win: it is a great opportunity for you to discover our products at low prices, and you sharing these great deals with your friends and family is great for us too, as we may gain a little extra funding, or a customer. So even if you are not able to make a donation today, if you could share the link to this page, you would already be helping us enormously!

We want you to be well compensated for all of your donations, because what is useful to us is not only the amount you give, but also, and above all, the time delay: by simply agreeing to wait until 2021 for your rewards, you are giving us the necessary resources to expand the brewery!

We have fixed a goal of 10 000 € for this crowdfunding campaign, to cover these first two essential parts of the project.

We don’t yet know how successful this crowdfunding campaign will be:

1. If we reach our main goal of 10 000 €, we will already consider the campaign a great success! This amount will allow us to get a loan with our bank (the Crédit Agricole, who have already given us a lot of help and support with this crowdfunding project) to cover any extra costs, and to purchase the necessary equipment to begin producing kegs.

2. If we exceed our goal of 10 000 €, we can go even further than the two essential parts of the project as described above, and directly purchase the equipment needed to produce kegs and casks (stainless steel kegs, filling and washing equipment, draft beer tap for events, etc.) and perhaps even an automatic bottling machine.

And that's it! Enough talk, now it's time for some action ;-) Have a look at the different rewards and take your pick!  

Well done to those of you who have read this far, and thank you very much for your interest in our project :-) Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the crowdfunding or the rewards system, we would love to hear from you!