Traditional Gut Hesterberg closes after 20 years: a loss for Berlin!

Traditional Gut Hesterberg closes after 20 years: a loss for Berlin!

Neuruppin, Deutschland - The restaurant "Gut Hesterberg", a permanently established provider of traditional German cuisine in the Rathaus-Center Pankow, closed its doors on February 26, 2025. After more than 20 years of operation, closure is not only a painful loss for the Berlin catering scene, but also an alarming sign of the challenges that the butcher's trade faces in Germany. The company boss Karoline Hesterberg regrets the end of a gastronomic heritage and describes the closure as part of the "dying of the craft businesses".

The reasons for this decision are diverse. According to Hesterberg, the high economic pressure on the butcher is mentioned as the main cause. The industry suffers from factors such as high inflation, increasing producer prices and uncertainties among consumers. In 2023, 45 percent of the companies surveyed reported on sales improvements, while a third of the sales declines were experienced. This is also reflected in falling meat consumption, which fell from over 60 kg to 51.6 kg per capita in 2018.

difficult times for the butcher trade

The challenges for the butcher trade are enormous. The decline in training numbers is particularly worrying: in 2023 there were only around 2,300 new trainees in the job of the butcher. According to the Statista website, around 250,000 specialists in this area are missing in Germany. These shortcomings lead to a serious risk to the provision of high -quality products and services.

The closure of the "Gut Hesterberg" can also be seen as a symptom of a changing society in which interest in sustainability and animal welfare is growing. Many consumers are looking for new gastronomic experiences, which represents additional challenges for traditional companies such as "Gut Hesterberg". Innovative solutions, such as the introduction of meat machines and special delivery services, are discussed as possible answers to the crisis.

The future of Gut Hesterberg

After the closure, "Gut Hesterberg" plans to concentrate on the core business, the sale of meat products, and to strengthen agriculture and production in neuruppin. This decision shows that despite the difficult circumstances, survival and adaptation to the new market conditions are possible.

The closure of the "Gut Hesterberg" is perceived by many as a painful loss for the gastronomic diversity of Berlin. According to Jörg Dittrich, President of the Central Association of German Crafts, a sensitive social handling of these companies and greater state support is essential to secure the future of small craft companies in the butcher.

In a time when the butcher is faced with tendencies for branching and consolidation, the question remains how many small businesses can survive these challenges. Innovative approaches and rethinking within the industry could be the key to adapting to the changed eating habits and the saturated meat market.

The closure of the "Gut Hesterberg" refers to deeper structural problems in the butcher crafts that have to be solved in order to offer future generations of traditional craftsmanship.

The information mentioned above on this topic comes from various sources: [Berlin Live] (https://www.berlin-live.de/freiszeit/ausleze/restaurant-hest-hesterberg-feinchenchen-restaurant- selection-Id401198.html), mine Berlin and Statista.