Brewery Het Anker taken over by Delirium brewer Huyghe: “I am proud that I can continue this life’s work” (Domestic)

The history of the Mechelen brewery goes back to the fifteenth century. At the end of the nineteenth century it came into the hands of the Leclef family. Charles Leclef (60) took over Het Anker in 1990 and modernized the brewery. A hotel and a brasserie were built, a new bottling plant was opened and beers such as Gouden Carolus and Maneblusser are known far beyond Mechelen. Some beers even won prizes at the World Beer Awards.

“Today we brew about thirty thousand hectoliters of beer per year and export to dozens of countries,” Leclef said when he announced the search for a buyer in October. “There is no succession in the family. My son was at the helm of the brewery for a while, but chose to take a completely different path professionally. I fully understand that and I also supported his choice. That’s why I started looking for another buyer.”

This will be the Huyghe brewery from Melle, known for its Delirium Tremens and Averbode beers. Alain De Laet from the Huyghe brewery is already enthusiastic. “I am very proud to be able to continue Charles’ life’s work. Both breweries share the same essential values: quality and respect for family traditions. We will do everything we can to grow Het Anker’s beers worldwide in a sustainable manner, with respect for the individuality of each brand.”

Lots of confidence

“It is with great confidence that I leave Anker to the good care of Alain and his team,” Charles Leclef responds to the takeover. “I am convinced that these strong shoulders with well-meant intentions, in collaboration with our dedicated employees, will further strengthen and expand the entire project with its specific character.”

In 2023, the Huyghe brewery had a turnover of 45 million euros. That is slightly more than double the turnover of the Het Anker brewery of 20 million euros. In addition to the seventeen beers that Het Anker markets, Huyghe also takes over the rest of the operation. For example, Het Anker has several leading whiskeys in its range and, since the opening of the Batteliek, it has focused on innovative niche products such as fruit syrups.

“With the acquisition, Het Anker can strengthen its presence in the domestic market and make use of Huyghe’s distribution network in more than a hundred countries,” the Delirium brewer said. “In addition, an attractive and diversified product range is created that attracts a broad audience. Furthermore, we also want to implement our advanced sustainability practices in the operation of Het Anker.”

Unique values

The strategic takeover was managed by BNP Paribas Fortis Private Equity, which joined Het Anker as a minority shareholder in 2016. “We invested in Het Anker eight years ago to finance the expansion plans of the historic Mechelen brewery,” says Raf Moons. “Together with Charles Leclef and his family, we have achieved a great trajectory of sustainable growth. We are convinced that the unique values ​​of Het Anker can also be continued with the new owner.”