HÜTT brewery in Baunatal closes after 270 years: a sad farewell!

HÜTT brewery in Baunatal closes after 270 years: a sad farewell!

The HÜTT brewery in Baunatal, which has a proud 270 years of history, will close its doors. Managing director and owner Frank Bettenhäuser, who is retiring from the business due to age, has announced this decision. Since there is unfortunately no successor solution, the company, which has been in the family for nine generations, is being liquidated in an orderly manner. The name HÜTT has always been a constant in northern Hesse and was one of the best-known brands in the region, especially with the beers Hütt and Hessisch Löwen, which shaped the local beer range. But times are changing, and despite intensive efforts, no buyer was found for the brewery, which is now feeling the effects of the decline in the German beer market.

“We systematically looked for an investor, but we were unsuccessful,” says Bettenhäuser, who has made it his mission to organize the liquidation in such a way that the 38 employees as well as suppliers and partners are not left out in the cold. The decline in the beer market cannot be dismissed: According to current figures, the brewing volume in Hesse has fallen from 7 million hectoliters in 1980 to just 1.24 million hectoliters in 2024, which corresponds to a dramatic decline of around 83 percent. This contributes to the closure of the traditional brewery and reflects a nationwide trend, as getraenke-news.de reports.

Current situation in the brewing industry

The beer market in Germany has changed significantly in recent years, especially after the pandemic. Between 2019 and 2023, 60 breweries had to close their doors as overcapacity, lack of profitability, cost explosions and a backlog of investments put companies under increasing pressure. The market volume of the German beer market is currently around 83.76 million hectoliters, but there is a clear need for market consolidation, even if this means the loss of regional brewery culture.

As getraenke-news.de further explains, many small breweries in particular are losing the challenge to larger companies. Craft beer breweries have been particularly affected, with 29 of the 60 closed locations producing less than 3,000 hectoliters per year. The pressure on the industry remains and some companies, such as the Radeberger Group, have already taken measures to adjust their capacities.

Part of the regional history is being lost

With the closure of the HÜTT brewery, not only a traditional provider disappears, but a piece of North Hesse's history. The conclusion of this chapter underlines how fragile the brewing industry in Germany has become. The challenge of adapting the beer market to consumer needs while at the same time ensuring its attractiveness remains. Bettenhäuser has said he is open to discussions during the liquidation process if a potential buyer is found. But the prospects for many smaller breweries are few and far between, and the future of regional beer brewing hangs in the balance.

The HÜTT brewery was not just a place where beer was brewed, but an important anchor point for local gastronomy and the community in the region. It remains to be seen which path the industry will take in the coming years, given the constant change and increasing challenges that many traditional companies have to overcome.