Adding some Belgian hops to the hospitality recipe
Rejeanne Vlietman is the MD of the Belgian Beer Company
Tell me about your job.
I was working and part of the management at the Belgian restaurant Den Anker at the V&A Waterfront. Part of my role was the distribution of Belgian beer. As a result, I had good contacts with various breweries in Belgium, so I thought it would be a good idea to diversify and start an import and distribution business, bringing great Belgian beers to South Africa.
We import beer that falls under the Duvel Moortgat Brewery, including Liefmans, Duvel, La Chouffe, Maredsous, Vedett and De Koninck beer — a total of 35 products, distributed throughout South Africa to all national retailers as well as liquor stores and restaurants. Between the two branches of the business, I oversee a team of 70.
The industry is very male-dominated; how have you coped?
It has been interesting at times and very much a case of learning as things crop up. What I didn’t know I made it my business to learn fast. Not many people know that women brewers dominated alcohol production on every occupied continent until the commercialisation and industrialisation of brewing occurred. In ancient Iraq, early evidence of beer is a 3 900-year-old Sumerian poem honouring Ninkasi, the patron goddess of brewing, which contains the oldest-surviving beer recipe.
Closer to home, Rosa Merckx was the first female brewmaster at Liefmans. She started out as a secretary and slowly but surely mastered the craft of brewing and became the brewmaster of Liefmans. She is now in her mid-90s.
I met her earlier this year on a business trip to Brewery Liefmans in Oudenaarde, Belgium. She’s still full of fun and energy — a great inspiration to all in the industry.
You started out as a waitress — how does that experience help you in your work?
I started waitressing in Amsterdam after I left school, then worked at Den Anker when I returned to South Africa. I learnt a lot about the way things were done in Europe, and this gave me a good understanding of the traditions and rituals in the hospitality industry.
When I started waitressing at Den Anker, there was not too much known about Belgian beer in South Africa. Getting the locals used to drinking beer from a 330ml glass and to understand that each beer had its own glass was a challenge.
Fruit-flavoured beers were completely unknown then, too, so we worked hard at introducing the Belgian beer culture to Cape Town, which gave me a great foundation for the work I do now.
Waitressing also taught me how to think on my feet and how to solve problems. This has stood me in good stead.
What is your favourite beer?
The newly launched Liefmans Yell’oh is a refreshing aperitif, a fabulous blend of pineapple, lemon, elderflower, basil and apple. In winter, I would have to say a Liefmans Goudenband, smooth and rich.
What do you love most about the work you do?
It is such a diverse business to be involved in, which allows me to explore my business skills, creativity and strategy. We are always tweaking forecasts and coming up with inventive ways to market our brands.
What part of your job would readers find most surprising?
Opening a container which contained 21 pallets, which is 1 500 cases of beer, using a bolt cutter and catching the side of my head — I had a bruise for days. Unloading a shipment was a huge group effort in the beginning, but now we have a great system in place.