The number of breweries in Belgium decreased last year compared to 2022. Despite this, there were still 417 by the end of 2023, 13 less than the previous year, according to data collated by beer enthusiast association, Zythos.
The number remains well above the 130 breweries recorded around 15 years ago, but the decline illustrates the challenges faced predominantly by smaller businesses in the sector.
Breweries are grappling with several challenges. "The pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine have had a lasting impact on energy prices, raw materials and packaging. Additionally, in a context where purchasing power is under pressure, our brewers are struggling to maintain their sales volumes and margins," the Belgian Brewers Federation stated a few months ago.
Director of the Federation Krishan Maudgal acknowledges that the market in Belgium is "perhaps a little saturated", but minimises the effects of the decrease. "In volume terms, it doesn’t even correspond to 0.01% of the total," he clarified to Belga News Agency on Friday.
Some small breweries, which hitherto thrived during lockdown, are now hard-pressed due to significantly increased production costs. For Mr. Maudgal, the hardships of the profession may have overcome these small players, possibly lured in at the beginning by a somewhat romanticised vision of the brewing activity.
"It’s no longer enough to brew beer for friends. The brewer must sometimes also be an accountant, a sales manager, active in logistics… Producing a high-quality, stable beer over time is a real profession," he observes.
