Waterloo, Walloon Region, Belgium
Born in Paris (British/Belgian), educated Stonyhurst & Mansfield College Oxford-MA Oxon. Vice-President of Oxford Univ Student Union, advertising/marketing Publicis (Paris), Benton & Bowles (London) & Marketing Manager Nestlé (Croydon & Vevey). Joined Schweppes Benelux and John Martin the family brewing business (by grandfather John Martin in Antwerp 1909); with brothers John-Charles & Peter until creation in April 2004 of "Anthony Martin Group": THE FINEST DRINKS COMPANY. 1985: (Canadean London) Anthony advocated new era in craft beers. Ignoring the scepticism, he developed all that is craft in the family business (including “GXS”, a world exclusive Special Antwerp crafted Guinness developed by John Martin in 1944!), rebuilt Timmermans (world’s oldest lambic beer), created breweries in Bruges (Bourgogne de Flandres/Den Os) and Waterloo, is a partner of Antwerpen Brouw Compagnie and today has a 75 million €uro craft brewing business in Belgium. Subsidiaries in Italy, France and Spain. Brands include John Martin's, Gordon, Maredret, Mc Douglas, Geneviève De Brabant, Diabolici, Celtic Cider, Blanche de Brabant, Dominus. 2025 saw the redesign of the new bottling and kegging installations at its logistics centre in Zemst, Mechelen; a major quality platform for its 250,000hl Special Beer platform. For his craft beer development, Anthony was elected “Artisan de l’Excellence” (2017), to the High Council of “Chevalerie de Fourquet” (Belgian Brewers Board) and won the coveted “Michael Jackson Award” for craft beer in 2016. Numerous gold medals include world’s best Gueuze, Seasonal, Kriek, Dark, Triple, and last year saw 10 new medals, including world best strong Brown beer (Gordon Xmas) and in 2024 Waterloo whisky crowned World’s Best. Anthony Martin was declared « Supreme World Brewer" in the 2022/23 & 24/25 Int. Beer Challenge and top 20 European CEO 2024. 3 of his 5 children work alongside him, Stéphanie [Design and social networks], Jonathan is group Sales & Marketing Director, Edward (Master in Brewing and Distilling (MSc) at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh) Distilling Director/Waterloo Brand Manager with Jennifer and Sacha never very far away!
2022/23 & 2024/25 "SUPREME WORLD BREWER": International Beer Challenge Belgium's "Finest Beer Selection" - Incorporating Timmermans, the world's oldest spontaneous fermentation brewer. MARTIN'S is recognised as Europe's oldest and leading beer specialist; and the world's most experienced agent for Guinness (Diageo). http://anthonymartin.be/fr/news-fr/merry-xmas-and-hoppy-new-year/ Established by John Martin in Antwerp in 1909, with offices (now the headquarters) in Brabant Wallon since 1924 (Genval & Waterloo), Bergamo (Italy), Valencia (Spain) and Rouen (France). For a century now, four generations of "The Finest Drinks Company” offer a fabulous voyage into the world of amazing drinks. Today, every second, two of our finest beers can be savoured somewhere in the world: a total of 25.000.000 litres of speciality craft beers! Thanks to a unique blend of English tradition, Belgian savoir-faire and a hint of daring, the range of special beers is a treasure just waiting to be discovered. With a 2025 turnover of €75,000,000 the Anthony Martin group enjoys a unique distribution basis in Belgium, making it Belgium's leading special beer artisan for over 100 years. Its beers enjoy presence in all the major retail shops, together with over 80% distribution in the competitive on-trade sector. In addition to its core GUINNESS distribution and bottling (Anthony Martin distributes Guinness' unique Special Export recipe "GXS" developed by John Martin in 1944), brands include John Martin's, Gordon, Timmermans, Waterloo, Maredret and Kilkenny. Export companies also sell other brands such as Dominus, Timmermans (the world's oldest lambic brewery), Mc Douglas, Geneviève De Brabant, Bourgogne des Flandres, Diabolici, Celtic Cider. MEET THE BREWER: with sons Jonathan & Edward, family runs three Craft breweries Waterloo (Mont-St-Jean), Dilbeek (Timmermans), Bruges (Bourgogne des Flandres) and partnership with Antwerp ABC Co. Elected WORLDS BEST BREWER 2024 and 2025.
"MEET THE BREWER" Belgium's latest brewery in the very centre of Bruges. Includes brewer's lodgings, ingredients room, laboratory, museum and if course a real live brewery (production10 hl/day). Also blending pub/tasting rooms, restaurant, shop and the most beautiful views over the Dyver canal and the Belfroy. Some history: The Van Houtryve brewing dynasty, made up of no fewer than three breweries, has left its mark on the Bruges brewing tradition. Records from 1765 mention a farm-brewery in Loppem belonging to Pierre-Jacques Van Houtryve. However, it was his son who obtained permission from the representative of the States of Flanders to set up a brewery within the city walls of Bruges in 1825. Den Os Brewery was born. On the eve of WWI, three members of the Van Houtryve family stood at the helm of their respective breweries: Den Os, La Marine and Ten Ezele. This is no surprise as the number of breweries in Bruges peaked in this period with 34 active breweries, only two of which remain today. It was during this heyday just before the First World War that the flagship beer of Den Os Brewery came into being. Bourgogne des Flandres is an authentic West Flemish red-brown beer that has survived the long-term competition from the hugely popular lager beers since WWI as well as the destruction caused by WWII. However, Den Os Brewery finally had to close down in 1957. We have to wait until 2013 for the project to return to Bruges begins, realised April 2016 by the opening of the Bourgogne des Flandres only 50 metres from its original location. Part of Anthony Martin's Finest Craft Beer project since 1994, this flamboyant red Flemish Ale has at long last recovered its true passion. In 2018, 50,000 visitors visited this unique site, one of Bruges' top three TRIP ADVISOR recommendation with a 2018/19 "Certificate of Excellence". 2021 saw the création of Bruges' first distillery, producing a gold medal Genièvre...
Starting with the safeguard throughout Europe of the unique recipe for Guinness' Special Export Stout ("GXS" brewed exclusively Belgium) developed by John V. Martin in 1944, Anthony Martin's "FINEST" continues the Martin's tradition of the Finest Craft. The acquisition of TIMMERMAN'S the world's oldest Lambic Brewery, in 1993 was followed by an important Retro conversion with brewing culminating in 2015 with "The WORLD'S BEST SOUR BEER" award and in 2017 BRUSSELS award for the world's best OUDEKRIEK. Threatened by demolition, the world's oldest sour brewery buildings were purchased by Anthony Martin in 2018 and renovated in 2025. This was followed by the re-introduction of the famous MARTIN'S INDIA PALE ALE (John Martin's original recipe) and the redevelopment of the GORDON SCOTCH ALE (and famous XMAS - the ORIGINAL Belgian Christmas Ale!). 2015 also sees the development of the WATERLOO Range from its new micro-brewery at the Ferme de Mont-Saint-Jean ("l'Hopital des Anglais") inaugurated by the Prince of Waterloo, Duke of Wellington on 19th June. Its also received the much acclaimed "BELGIUM'S BEST TRIPLE" award in that year. Late 2017, WATERLOO RECOLTE was crowned the world's best Season beer with the BRUSSELS GOLD MEDAL. The programme continued with the opening in March 2016 of the new micro-brewery of "BOURGOGNE DES FLANDRES" in the very centre of Bruges. With a 5,000hl capacity, the brewery site includes an extended visitors' centre including museum, a tasting and zythological sensory experience and a pub and restaurant alongside the Dyver canal. Early 2018 a major "Collaboration beer" project is approved between Timmermans and DIAGEO, one of the world's leading brewers; the world's first genuine SOUR STOUT with real LAMBIC is born... in Antwerp, joint developments are made with independent craft brewery ABC.
Created by the MARTIN family, from its historic "Chateau Schweppes" base (now the famous five stars hotel "Chateau du Lac" in GENVAL). The first major development was the transformation of the Genval site into the 5 Star hotel; a first in Wallonia initiated by John-Charles Martin. This was followed by the "Grand Hotel" in Waterloo in 1992 based on a development idea made by Anthony Martin's Holding, and signalled the start of what is now Belgium's Leading Independent Hotel Group, with 14 hotels nationwide, with an additional 2 opening early 2025. Present in 6 leading Belgian cities, the hotels offers 58 meeting rooms and a major development programme was launched, to expand the hotel base in 2020 to 1,400 rooms. The group's CEO and co-founder is John-Charles Martin who was instrumental as a driving force in its developments. General Manager Christophe Voet is now is in charge of many of the recent developments that are taking the group into new directions, not least being the MARTIN'S RED Hotel, for the National Belgian Football team in Tubize and, early 2018, the hotel in Louvain-La-neuve (Brabant Wallon). Board members include Anthony MARTIN, Jonathan Martin and Frédéric Adriaens who represent the interest of the Anthony Martin Holding company thats fully owns John Martin S.A. and a substantial share of the Hotel group. Indeed, the Hotel development is seen as a major diversification from the core drinks activities that also acts as a key development within the quality Hospitality sector for which the Martin family is renowned for on the Continent. MARTIN'S HOTELS supports "En Avant Les Enfants" as well as"FACECHARITY" (Cairo) and "MAINS OUVERTES"(Haiti) as well as many local institutions.
Opened in full collaboration with la ville de Waterloo, la Province du Brabant-Wallon et la Région Wallone, the Farm of Mont-Saint-Jean is a leading example of public-private innovation and collaboration. The complete renovation and safeguard of the listed and historical "Hôpital des Anglais" Waterloo site at the "Ferme de Mont Saint Jean" was carried out by the specialist construction team Julie BAJART and architects DDGM. For the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo in 2015, a 10hl Microbrewery (opened in November 2014) was created in the very heart of the battlefield. The new brewery brews an original 1815 recipe WATERLOO "la Récolte" and annually produces somes 5,000hl of crafted beer ("Belgium's BEST TRIPLE"). 2015 saw the opening of a specialist counter promoting local entreprise and goods, a new museum space comprising the unique collection of medical artefacts comprised by Michael Crumplin: "Le Revers de la Médaille", a restaurant and international event centre. Opened by His Grace the Duke of Wellington, Prince of Waterloo, on 19th June 2015, the farm aims to employ over 35 people becoming one of Brabant Wallon's most prestigious tourist destination. Mid 2017 it received its "Certificat de Patrimoine" for the realisation of a new visitors centre. As from 2016, non profitable activities are coordinated by the newly created ASBL "Waterloo-Mont-Saint-Jean" operated by Anthony Martin. In June 2016, a new exhibition space covering the historical role of the "Hopital des Anglais" is opened, together with a beer and farm museum opened to the public as part of the official "Champ de Bataille" tours. 2017 witnessed "Distillerie de Waterloo", with the very first production of a local Gin, and Sloe Gin by Edward MARTIN. The first whisky is also produced, available 12th October 2020. September 2018 sees the permit granted for the new visitors' centre. Work started in Autumn 2019, and Coronavirus permitting, will be completed Spring 2021...