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== History ==
De Cam Geuzestekerij is a relative newcomer to the lambic blending scene. In June of 1997, De Cam opened in Gooik, becoming the first new traditional lambic blender to open in Belgium in nearly forty years.<ref name=WildBrews>Jeff Sparrow, [[Books#Wild Brews: Culture and Craftsmanship in the Belgian Tradition|Wild Brews: Culture and Craftsmanship in the Belgian Tradition]], 2005</ref> The blendery was founded by Willem van Herreweghen, who at the time was a production manager at Palm Breweries, along with support from Armand Debelder, Frank Boon, and Michel Doomst, the mayor of Gooik. De Cam is currently housed in what was a former brewery dating back to at least 1705, though likely earlier. The location eventually came into the possession of the town of Gooik in 1992, and was converted into a community center. By 1997, the building was reclaimed as part of the Belgian lambic tradition.<ref name=GeuzeKriek>Jef Van den Steen, [[Books#Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer|Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer]], 2012</ref> [[File:DeCamGeuzestekerij-9.jpg|thumb|right|Entrance to De Cam]]
In 2000, after a successful three years of blending lambic, Willem van Herreweghen left De Cam to return to Palm Breweries as a technical advisor. At the time, Karel Goddeau had been helping around De Cam and Willem had already suggested that Goddeau take over the operations. While Karel was finishing his final project as a student at Hogeschool CTL, researching starting a microbrewery and the brewing process of spontaneously fermented beers at [[Brouwerij_3_Fonteinen|3 Fonteinen]], both Armand and Gaston Debelder agreed to show him the art of blending lambic. In May of 2000, Karel agreed to become the blender at De Cam while still maintaining his day job as a brewer at a non-lambic brewery nearby.<ref name=GeuzeKriek>Jef Van den Steen, [[Books#Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer|Geuze & Kriek: The Secret of Lambic Beer]], 2012</ref>