Honest. Local. Fresc.
Meet the Brewer
Nash Dérégnieaux
Passionate about food and cooking from childhood on, Nash left home at the age of 15 to attend cooking school at Westminster Kingsway College in London. Here he learned the techniques of combining ingredients and creating new flavours in a professional way until he graduated in 2008. He then started working in various high-class kitchens around the world, such as Atelier Crenn in California, Hooked in Melbourne and Les Bacchanales in the South of France that triggered his curiosity about different cultures and their varying approaches to the preparation of food and drink.
In 2012 he first started integrating a homebrew kit into his kitchen. Using his skills as a chef he tried to combine food and drinks to create a "whole experience". He developed a great passion for the highly technical aspects of brewing and, thrilled by the challenge of creating a perfectly balanced and complex drinking experience, decided in 2015 to give up cooking and dedicate his whole energy to brewing.
Fascinated by the world of brewing, he travelled through Europe to visit craft breweries in Austria, the Czech Republic and south Germany. He came back buzzing with ideas and inspiration and finally decided to open his own brewery in his home town of Besalú, Catalunya.
"The actual drinking reflects only the very last part of the process"
Philosophy
His background as a professional chef and his experience in various Michelin star restaurants influences his style of brewing, as does his deep connection to nature and all it has to offer.
Nash is devoted to using only the highest quality ingredients in the creation of his full-flavoured craft beers. This includes seasonal variations with hand-picked ingredients from the region as well as the integration of new elements from foreign cultures to deliver a rounded, authentic and unique drinking experience.
"The actual drinking reflects only the very last part of the process". Therefore his concept is to invite the beer-lover to dive into the world of brewing by visiting the Hopsters brewery and taproom in the medieval town of Besalú. Apart from having the opportunity to taste all the beers, visitors can also get an individual tour through the brewery area and learn about the process that lies behind the making of them.
Authenticity, honesty and passion for beers should shine through each bottle!
"whole experience"
meet the team
Nathan Dérégnieaux
Co-founder, Design & Photopgraphy
Nathan studied cooking at Hoffman in Barcelona before working as head-chef in Les Bacchanales, Southern France. Following his second passion, he undertook a photography diploma at Grisart. At Hopsters, besides executive decisions, he is in charge of design of advertising material and labels, as well as photography.
Lisa Kern
Community Manager
Lisa holds a Bachelors degree in
Management of Social Innovation from the University of Applied Sciences in Munich. Since 2012 she has been working for an Innovation Consultancy, using the tool Netnography to discover consumer needs and trends. At Hopsters Lisa has been using her expertise to make sure the clients’ perspective is always taken into account.
Michael Wetzel
Mike holding two Masters in Business from ESADE Business school is supporting the team since the beginnign. Apart from being an advisor on all strategic and business matters and overseeing the implementation of an ERP system he is also active in all day-to-day activities from sourcing to brewing to marketing & sales.
Besalú
We are surrounded by the stunning scenery of Besalú, one of Catalunya's top sights to visit.
You shouldn't miss a walk across the famous romanic bridge as well as a stroll through the historical old town which takes you back to medieval times.
honest. local. fesh.
