Duvel acquires de Koninck

Duvel Moortgat has announced its takeover of the iconic Antwerp based beer: De Koninck, literally ‘the King’ in Flemish. Located in the heart of Antwerp, Brouwerij de Koninck has been brewing since 1933. Its present owners, the Van den Bogaert and Van Bauwel families, have built the brewery into a valuable brand with a solid reputation both nationally and internationally. The brewery reached the peak of its success during the 1990’s with an annual production level of 130,000 hectolitres. More recently, it has struggled against a shrinking beer market and a strong decline in a demand for pale ale. The current annual volume is around 65,000 hectolitres. Bernard Van den Bogaert of De Koninck states: "Because of the small size of our brewery, we have experienced a lack of commercial strength and distribution channels. But this acquisition is a logical step as, during the last couple of years, Duvel Moortgat has proven that it possesses the right experience; and the fact that the two breweries have maintained an excellent relationship for generations adds an extra dimension to this acquisition."