Our Team
Frédéric Manson
Fred is one of the founding members, and today the manager of the brewery and the Brew Pub l’Echappée Belle.
Before embarking on this great adventure of craft beer, Fred had long been involved in humanitarian action. After more than ten years working for Médecins Sans Frontières, he decided to switch to his second passion!
This began with several years of amateur brewing, then he learned the brewing trade at the University of La Rochelle, and by an internship at the Father Jakob brewery, in Soral, Switzerland.
A great lover of hoppy beers and barrique beers, he likes to concoct new recipes to the delight of the Brew Pub’s customers!
Kristina Schemann
Even though Kristina set off in finances after her master in economics, she discovered quite soon that her real passion lay in ecology, languages, volunteering work, sowing, singing and – of course – her family. Having been active in a number of associations – both local and international – the opportunity of being part of a local business with organic products seemed a perfect fit!
Funfact: co-owner of a brewery and originating from Munich - and still she prefers wine ...
Pascal Meierhofer
Pascal works as a Finance & Administration Director for a multinational company. Married to Kristina and father of 3 children, he has always wanted to get involved in a local business that offers great products. Being a loyal customer of Echappée Belle since the beginning, he did not hesitate to join the team when the opportunity came along. Pascal continues a family tradition since his family had restaurants and bars in both Switzerland and France.
Jean Marc
Hello! My name is Jean-Marc, known as the minion ; - )
I’m 52 years old and originally from Alsace, but I spent many years in Auvergne (Allier), where I held various jobs and ran different businesses. I was an amateur brewer for many, many years, and in 2017 I decided to turn my passion into my profession by opening the Lady Ale brewery in 2018, which I sold in 2023. After a change of direction and many twists and turns, I arrived in Grilly in July 2025 to take on a new challenge (you’ll often spot me hard at work on the terrace at the end of the day! Quality testing is important! 😁)
Thibault
Hi, I’m Thibault, originally from Bordeaux. I’ve been living in the Pays de Gex for six years now and startet off working in restaurants and then as a sales manager in Switzerland. When I decided to change career, I spent a few months trying to figure out which sector to move into. Then I discovered that the brewery was looking for a brewer’s assistant and I thought to myself, “Why not!”
I’ve been a brewer’s assistant here since August 2025 and it’s brilliant!
The world of craft beer is fascinating, and my greatest pleasure is hearing your feedback on the quality of our beers.
I look forward to get your feedback! Cheers!
Nicolas
Hi, I’m Nicolas, 32 years old. I used to spend my days juggling plans and incomprehensible files.
Then one day, I had a revelation: beer. Not just drinking it (I already knew how to do that), but brewing it, serving it, and above all, sharing that little moment when a customer takes their first sip and smiles. I started out in a brewers‘ association, and I thought to myself, ‘Hey, it’s much more fun to work with a beer tap than an Excel spreadsheet.’
Since then, I‘ve changed careers. Today, I’m happy behind my counter: every evening, I meet my customers and serve them beers that I understand, that I know, and above all, that I love. In short, I‘ve swapped meetings for beer, and honestly... I don’t regret it for a second. 🍻
Stephen
Hello everyone, I’m Stephen, 27 years old. I’ve lived in the Pays de Gex for the past 27 years.
After doing a string of odd jobs, I’ve been working in the catering industry for the last seven years. I started out as a customer and eventually switched sides to become a barman.
I wanted to see another side of the restaurant business and was looking for new challenges, so I decided to leave the bar to become head chef at L’Echappée Belle.
I look forward to welcoming you to my...
Baloo
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Baloo, our faithful four-legged companion. As the guardian of the Bar Échappée Belle and a friend to all, he grew up surrounded by his family and his ‘uncles’ at the bar.
To his mum and dad, thank you for sharing Baloo with us all these years.
His absence will leave a huge void, but his memory will remain in our hearts.
Nanuq
It is with great sadness that we announce that our mascot Nanuq has left us in June 2024.
He will be greatly missed and our thoughts are with Andy.
Spike
Please don’t feed me in the pub
