Near Ploërmel, the Lancelot brewery wants to continue to grow while remaining rooted in its territory

Located on the site of the Gold Mine to Roc-Saint-Andre (Morbihan)the Lancelot brewery continues to make its way. Having taken over from the pair Stéphane Kerdodé and Eric Ollive, the Agrial cooperative intends to continue to grow the company founded by Bernard Lancelot in 1989.

At the helm of the brewery located a few kilometers from Ploermel Since January 2021, Laurent Guillet, director of regional Breton brands in the drinks branch of the Agrial cooperative, and Marc Vaitilingom, master brewer and director of the site, have been busy developing it.

A merger between three brands

Great-grandson of the founder of the cidrerie Kerisac situated at Guenrouët (Loire-Atlantique), Laurent Guillet does not count his hours to masterfully manage the family cider house and the Lancelot brewery. Two independent entities united within the Breton regional brands division of the drinks branch of the Agrial cooperative. “This allows a rapprochement between the brands Lancelot, Breizh Cola and Kerisac. There is a real synergy between the sites”, he specifies.

A rapprochement that notably allows us to join forces to develop brands that are already well known. Witness the figures put forward by Yoann Emery, GMS sales manager for regional brands in Brittany. “Every minute, 50 halfs of beers Lancelot are drunk in France. In 2021, 65,000 hectoliters were produced. The turnover of the Lancelot brewery is 14 million euros in 2021″, he announces.

If the reputation of the various beers designed at Roc-Saint-André is well established, the same is true for the range Breizh Cola. “Consumers, who are very loyal, are attached to taste,” explains Yoann Emery. In 2021, the French leader in regional colas produced no less than 130,000 hectoliters at the production site of Domagné for a turnover of 10 million euros.

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Several million euros of investment

But the Agrial cooperative does not intend to stop there. And, significant investments of several million euros will be made to develop the brewery site and respond as best as possible to customer requests. “We want to keep the spirit of the craft brewery,” says Laurent Guillet, however.

Although aware that the current tools that equip the brewery are no longer up to standard, Laurent Guillet and Marc Vaitilingom are not lacking in ambition on the beer market which continues to progress in Brittany. “It’s a challenge to succeed in meeting the growing demand”, does not hide the master brewer.

Production has increased from 30,000 hectoliters in 2015 to 55,000 in 2020. In 2021, 65,000 hectoliters were produced and this should reach 85,000 in 2022. Within three or four years, production should be equivalent to 140,000 hectoliters.

10,000 bottles of beer per hour

To achieve such production, investments are necessary. These will notably concern the brewing room and the vat room to the tune of 3 million euros. “Six new 600-hectoliter tanks will be added,” announces the site manager. Enough to increase the number of brews made each day. “We are going to go from 8 to 12”, he specifies.

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The part dedicated to bottling or barreling is also affected by investments. Two million euros have been invested in a new packaging line for glass bottles. “It was replaced in the first quarter of 2021. It makes it possible to make 10,000 bottles in 1 hour, or 120,000 in one day”, explains Marc Vaitilingom. At the same time, the second line can fill 100 barrels in one hour.

The conditioning will increase in power with the transition to 3×8.

Lancelot products elsewhere than in Brittany?

If the objective remains “to honor the orders and requests of Breton customers”, as Yoann Emery points out, the beers of the Lancelot brewery could soon be available outside regional borders, and in particular in the Great West or in the region. Parisian. At least that’s what the sales manager says. “We have more and more requests,” he said.

Nestled in the heart of the Morbihan countryside, the Lancelot brewery still has a bright future ahead of it. And, despite the development envisaged by the Agrial cooperative, it will always remain a craft brewery.

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