Bremen loses traditional butcher: a farewell after 30 years

Bremen loses traditional butcher: a farewell after 30 years

In the Neustadt in Bremen, the Düsseldorf butcher has closed its gates. After more than 30 years in business and many challenges, Markus and Manuela Düsseldorf are breaking new ground. For two days, on Tuesday and Wednesday, they offered their remaining stocks at reduced prices - 100 grams of meat for 1.35 euros with a full discount of 20% at the regular price. The closure on May 31, 2025 marks the end of a chapter for an institution in the district, which was taken over by Markus Düsseldorf in 1994 as a slaughter company. Originally, the family even ran three shops in Bremen, but now the last business had to close.

behind the scenes, a wide range of problems pressed the company. According to Weser Kurier, long working hours and bureaucratic hurdles are only to be mastered in this craft. The lack of specialists is particularly problematic. The desire for additional sales staff and another journeyman could not be fulfilled. In addition, there is the dramatic decline of the trainees in the butcher trade, which fell from 7,500 in 2005 to only 2,400 in 2022.

decline in butcher companies

The decline not only hits the Düsseldorf butcher hard. Overall, the number of butchers in Germany has halved within the past 20 years and is now over 10,000. The situation in Bremen looks similar: Here too, the number of member companies in the meat guild has halved. A particularly blatant comparison is evident when it comes to location: While there are around four times as many butchers per capita in Bavaria, the decline in Bremen and also in other parts of Germany can be felt. The chief master of the Bremen meat guild, Herbert Dohrmann, finds that the companies in Bremen are nevertheless more powerful and increasingly recruit workers from abroad, such as from India.

The reasons for this decline are diverse. The increasing trend towards vegetarian and vegan nutrition plays a role as well as falling total meat consumption. In 2023, this was only 51.6 kg per capita-a significant decline compared to over 60 kg in 2018. Consumers today place more and more emphasis on sustainability and ecologically compatible production, such as Deutschlandfunk.

The future of the butcher trade

Although the challenges are enormous, there are approaches that give hope: Features try to pass the market through innovative ideas and adjustments. Some rely on high-quality, regional products as well as direct marketing and online sales to preserve their customer base. Despite the currently tense situation, a slight plus signals a glimmer of hope in the training contracts of the butcher trade in 2024. Around 2,300 young people opted for training as a butcher this year, which is a small upward trend, but also means a decrease of approximately 5% compared to the previous year.

The closure of the Düsseldorf butcher is another indication of the far -reaching challenges that the traditional butcher trade currently suffer. Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether the industry can be stabilized by creative approaches and a new consumer awareness. It is always a shame about the diversity that is lost through the closures. A farewell gift from the loyal customers in the form of an album with thanks and best wishes will certainly be remembered by the Düsseldorf.