Germany: Krombacher expands its stake, becomes controlling owner of Starnberger Brauhaus

The Krombacher brewery has expanded its stake in the Starnberger Brauhaus to a 65% majority through GL Verwaltungs GmbH, becoming the controlling owner. The remaining 35% remain with founder Florian Schuh, who stepped back from management in 2023, Inside.Beer reported on August 9.

Schuh’s exit paved the way for Manuel Schulz, former head of gastronomy at Krombacher, to join as co-managing director alongside Sven Leindl, the brewery’s technical managing director and first brewmaster.

Founded by Schuh in 2015 in Berg on the shores of Lake Starnberg, the brewery moved four years ago into its current modern facility in Feldafing/Wieling. Krombacher entered in 2021 by purchasing the 10 % stake of Karl-Heinz Krawczyk, a regional investor and early shareholder, and later acquired a further 30 % from Schuh to reach 40%. The most recent acquisition of another 25 % from Schuh brought the total to 65%.

The move is strategically important because the Hellbier segment is the only beer category in Germany that has gained noticeable market share in recent years. Authentic Bavarian origin is a key credibility factor in this segment — something Krombacher, based in North Rhine-Westphalia, lacks. Starnberger’s location on Lake Starnberg provides this authenticity, making it a perfect fit for Krombacher. The brand also mirrors the success of Tegernseer, a regional brewery located in another well-known lakeside village near Munich.

The Starnberg brewery currently produces around 40,000 hl annually and is fully integrated into the Krombacher Group, with plans to intensify its Hellbier business.

However, a price increase from 1 October due to higher costs has sparked backlash.

Beverage retailer Fristo, fearing reduced margins, removed all Starnberger beers from 40 South Bavarian stores. Instead, it began offering “Starnberg Bräu,” a newcomer from Tutzing with no connection to the Starnberger Brauhaus, positioned as a local alternative from the same lake region.

Starnberger’s growth ambitions face further hurdles. The current Wieling site is restricted by limited water availability, making a significant production increase impossible there. To secure long-term growth, Schuh acquired a 41,000 m² site in the Starnberg industrial area of Schorn to build a second brewery with its own bottling line, while retaining the Wieling site and its 15 employees. However, local authorities raised concerns over Schorn’s insufficient wastewater capacity, stalling the project indefinitely. According to Leindl, discussions with the relevant agencies are ongoing.

Despite these challenges, Leindl remains optimistic, pointing to solid gastronomy demand, successful openings such as the “Starnberger Wirtshaus” in Olpe, and continue expansion plans in North Rhine-Westphalia.