Broadcast in March throughout Europe and beyond,
the National Geographic 'Megafactories' series kicked
off its fourth season not with a mega factory, but
with a close look inside Europe's largest brewery,
Heineken's one million square metre complex in
Zoeterwoude, The Netherlands. The programme
showcases not only the technology and infrastructure
at Zoeterwoude, but also the team of people whose
passion for brewing and quality shine through in
every minute filmed.
According to series producer/director, Emre Izat,
the documentary provides an unprecedented behind-
the-scenes insight into Heineken. "When you have a
commitment to providing consistent quality and taste
globally, you are putting millions of euros on the line
if a batch goes wrong. We tried to show what happens
behind the scenes and what goes into creating a
seemingly 'simple' glass of Heineken®," says Emre.
CRAFTMANSHIP
Zoeterwoude brewmaster Jean Dohmen, dubbed
'Maestro of the megabrewery', is one of the main
'stars' of the show. "It was a real opportunity to
share our enthusiasm about our business, our
craftsmanship and how we produce beer," he says in
the documentary.
"Heineken is not normally so open in revealing the
secrets of brewing. For me, this was the first time
we allowed any organisation such in-depth access to
the brewing process. But National Geographic has an
excellent reputation and the end result clearly adds
value to the brand and Heineken as a whole. It was
good for us to show our customers and the world the
pride and passion we put into brewing our beer."
QUALITY CONTROL
The programme depicts meticulous testing throughout
the brewing journey, from Jean's taste test of the
germinated barley, to his sip of the finished product
immediately before approval for bottling. As the script
says: "When Jean tastes a beer it is like a sommelier
tasting a fine vintage wine."
The documentary also shows the work of the Heineken
professional tasting panel, who train for nine months
to make the grade, and make sure global standards of
consistency are met. Samples of beer are brought from
all 140 Heineken breweries across 70 countries to The
Netherlands for taste analysis. Whether from Chile or
China, every bottle must taste exactly the same. It's a
crucial step because, as the narrator explains, "Heineken's
reputation is on the line with every sip."
National Geographic film-makers followed the various
steps of the brewing process: selecting the barley and
hops; purifying the water source through three stages
at the Heineken-owned water treatment plant; milling,
mashing, malting, brewing, fermenting; packing; and the
distribution facility.
THE INSIDE STORY
In total, the film crew filmed 50 hours of footage for a
broadcast of 35 minutes. And they told a powerful story
with the well-edited result. A strong feature throughout
is the demonstrated commitment to quality and the
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