Traditional brewery Carl Betz from Celle reports bankruptcy after 132 years!

Traditional brewery Carl Betz from Celle reports bankruptcy after 132 years!

Bad news reaches beer lovers from Celle: the traditional Carl Betz brewery has filed for bankruptcy. After 132 years in business, this is a serious blow to the region and lovers of the genuine aroma, known for its lack of intensive filtration and short-term heating. How News38 reports that the brewery's sales have been steadily declining for two decades. Despite in-house events, the decline could not be stopped.

The final shock came when the brewery filed for bankruptcy at the Celle district court. The insolvency proceedings are scheduled to open on February 1, 2026. Until then, however, the employees can be happy because the employment agency is ensuring their full pay. Prof. Dr. Volker Römermann, who was appointed as insolvency administrator, is optimistic and is already working on a new marketing strategy that focuses heavily on sales partners.

The beer market is changing

But the situation is not only threatening for the Carl Betz brewery. Beer consumption in Germany is on the decline: in 2017, per capita consumption was 100 liters, while in 2022 it fell to 88 liters. This development affects many smaller breweries, which are currently increasingly experiencing financial difficulties. How on merkur.de described, over 90 breweries in Germany have closed since 2020 due to financial challenges.

Not only is declining beer consumption contributing to the crisis, but also demographic change and rising energy costs, which result in high expenses for brewing, cooling and bottle cleaning. In addition, the desired climate neutrality by 2045 requires high investments and changes in production methods. The Oettinger brewery, another well-known representative in the industry, has already announced that it will close its location in Lower Saxony and relocate production to North Rhine-Westphalia.

A good opportunity for the region?

Despite the bleak outlook, the region shows solidarity with the Carl Betz brewery, which is considered the oldest roasted malt beer brewery in Germany and was founded in 1893. The product range includes classics such as Celler Pilsner, Celler Dunkel and Celler Weissbier, which are particularly popular with the locals. Whether the brewery can turn around again in its 132nd year depends not only on the new strategy, but also on community support.

With a good hand and the necessary support, a turning point could be in sight. It remains to be seen how the situation surrounding the traditional brewery will develop and whether it will be possible to preserve the unique brewery aroma from Celle in the future.