The Roman Family’s Brewing Tradition Begins in Mater

In 1545, Joos Roman held De Clocke in Mater, near Oudenaarde in Flanders. The property combined an inn, a farm, a mill, a malt house, and a brewery. Brewing began as one activity within a broader rural enterprise; over succeeding generations it became the Roman family’s principal business. This sixteenth-century origin underlies Roman’s recognition as Belgium’s oldest family brewery. Its history connects the mixed economy of an early inn and farm with a brewing business passed down through the family. The surviving brewery complex reflects later development, including a major modernization begun in 1926.