Our vision
Who are we?
We're the Blancpain Foundation for the Preservation of Brewery Traditions, an independent private foundation dedicated to keeping Fribourg's brewing heritage and traditions alive. We do this by encouraging entrepreneurship, drawing inspiration from the unique story of the Blancpain family saga.
And that's how we develop and manage the SwissBierMuseum Cardinal Fribourg.
Background
The Foundation was set up in 1978 by Claude Blancpain to protect the existing brewing heritage and make sure it wouldn't get lost.
Since 2011, the collection has stayed at bluefactory, even though the old brewery moved.
Today, the Foundation is recognized as a public utility (it's a member of AMS, AMCF, and Fribourg Tourisme) and works hard to promote Fribourg's brewing heritage.
A story that's all about us and really speaks to us.
What's special about Cardinal's story is how it covers so many different historical areas – like science, tech, and society – and what it reveals about us, whether we're from Fribourg, French-speaking Switzerland, or just Swiss, and even as people.
A unifying story that brings us closer.
The story of Cardinal's Fribourg journey is deeply connected to the recent growth of Fribourg city and its Canton.
Its historical ties to the Old Town, and by extension to the whole region, help us understand where we come from.
Cardinal grew up right alongside Fribourg (like the brewery, funicular, and fire station!). It even helped keep the region fed with its cutting-edge silo (which could be used in times of famine) and introduced innovative products like Tartex and then Parfait.
Our Vision
In the Cardinal story, you'll discover values like entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainability – these are actually the foundations of the bluefactory project.
This pioneering story of a Fribourg start-up should really inspire future generations to tackle today's challenges.
The Foundation works hard to promote the region by actively teaming up with local partners, and we're really keen to integrate with communal and cantonal development policies.
The Fermentarium
When we dug into the archives with Martin Schick (who was bluefactory's cultural manager at the time), we realized something really key: the fermentation process, which is absolutely central to making beer.
And that's the core idea behind our future project: The Fermentarium. Learn more
Our Committee
Our committee is made up of 5 Foundation board members, and we all come from diverse backgrounds to support our mission. We get expert advice and are audited by Fidutrust SA.
Our Team
Alain Kaehr (Sommelier and Brewing Consultant)
Board Member
Jérôme Magnin (Lawyer)
Board Member
André Clément (Master Brewer)
Board Member
Violaine de Poret (Audit, Accountant)
Board Member and Vice-President
Loïc Blancpain (Marketing and Communication)
Board Member and President