Brouwerij Martens

What Brouwerij Martens does

Brouwerij Martens is a privately held, family-owned Belgian brewery headquartered in Bocholt, Belgium, founded in 1758 and currently in its ninth generation of family stewardship under the leadership of Jan Martens. The company operates as the second-largest brewery in Belgium, producing a multi-tier brand portfolio that includes the value-oriented Martens Family Range, the Sezoens mainstream line, the craft-positioned Kristoffel brand, and the premium 1758 heritage range. The brewery is credited with pioneering the world's first double dry-hopped beer, indicating an active innovation pipeline within an otherwise mature category.

The business operates a dual revenue model. On the branded side, the company sells proprietary beer brands through traditional on-premise, off-premise retail, and export channels, augmented by a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform (beervikings.com). On the B2B side, the company offers private label and contract brewing services, effectively monetizing excess production capacity by manufacturing for retailers and third-party brand owners. Underlying operations emphasize sustainable brewing practices, with the company describing a nearly zero-water-waste production process that contributes to input-cost efficiency and ESG positioning.

The strategic posture in 2023 combined offensive portfolio moves with one significant acquisition: the purchase of United Dutch Breweries from Gimv and management extended the company's geographic reach beyond Belgium. Combined with the introduction of the 1758 range, the double dry-hopped innovation, the beervikings.com launch, and the expanded contract-brewing offering, 2023 reads as a coordinated effort to lift the platform from a domestic Belgian operator toward a multi-market brewing group, while preserving the family-ownership structure and heritage positioning that differentiate it from publicly listed brewing majors.

Name

Brouwerij Martens

Legal name

Brouwerij Martens

Website

https://brouwerijmartens.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1758

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Brouwerij Martens is a Belgian family-owned brewery founded in 1758 and the second-largest brewery in Belgium, producing branded beers (Martens, Sezoens, Kristoffel, 1758) alongside private label and contract brewing services for retailers and brand owners across domestic and international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Belgian Beer Brewing

NAICS

Breweries (31212)

SIC

Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & National Breweries (THAFALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Packaging & Production Breweries (Limited/No On-site Service) (THAFALAB), Producer-Owned Retail & Bottle Shops (On-site) (THAFALAL)

Headquarters

HQ city

Bocholt

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Brouwerij Martens is a Belgian family-owned brewery that manufactures and sells a portfolio of branded beers across multiple styles: the Martens Family Range (low-fermentation beers), Sezoens (top-fermentation beers with fruity, spicy and hoppy profiles), Kristoffel (four traditional abbey-style beers), and the premium 1758 assortment (six-hop blend). In addition to its consumer brands, the brewery offers private-label and solution-provider contract brewing services enabling partner brands to produce beer through its facilities.

Product overview

Brouwerij Martens is a Belgian family-owned brewery founded in 1758, operating as the second largest brewery in Belgium. The company produces a portfolio of beer brands across multiple styles: the Martens Family Range (low-fermentation beers), Sezoens (top-fermentation beers with four fruit/spice/hop varieties), Kristoffel (four abbey-style beers), and the premium 1758 collection (six-hop blend). The brewery also offers private label/solution provider services for contract brewing. Founded in 1758 in Bocholt, the company remains focused on tradition, innovation, and sustainable brewing practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kristoffel: Four traditional abbey-style beers named after Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travelers.
• Sezoens
• 1758
• Martens Family Range

Products and services

• Martens Family Range Diverse assortment of refreshing low-fermentation beers brewed with care and a focus on sustainability, achieving near-zero water waste in production. Targeted at general beer consumers seeking accessible Belgian beers that combine tradition and innovation.
• Sezoens Quirky collection of top-fermentation beers featuring four distinct flavors with fruity, spicy, and hoppy taste profiles, designed for the young at heart.
• Kristoffel Reeks Four traditional abbey-style beers named after Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travelers, including hazy white, blonde, rosé, and dark variants.
• 1758 Exclusive beer assortment featuring a blend of six different high-quality hop varieties, paying homage to the brewery's founding year and refined over 265 years of brewing craft.
• Private Label / Solution Provider (Contract Brewing) OEM/contract brewing services under a solution-provider model, enabling partner brands to produce private-label beer using Brouwerij Martens' brewing capacity, expertise, and sustainable processes.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• United Dutch BreweriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrouwerij Martens acquired United Dutch Breweries from Gimv and management. The acquisition is based on shared vision for brewing mastery, innovation, and sustainability. The high degree of complementarity aims to strengthen both companies' future growth potential through joint global expansion efforts.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AB InBev: Global brewing giant headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, dominating the Belgian beer market through brands like Stella Artois, Leffe, and Hoegaarden. Overlaps with Brouwerij Martens on Belgian-brewed production but operates at vastly larger scale across mainstream and premium segments.
• Alken-Maes: Heineken-owned Belgian brewer producing mainstream lagers and abbey-style brands (Maes, Grimbergen, Affligem). Competes with Brouwerij Martens across mainstream Belgian on-premise and off-premise channels, though as part of a much larger international parent portfolio.

Direct peers

• United Dutch Breweries: Recent acquisition target of Brouwerij Martens; Dutch brewing group operating brands such as De Leckere, Kuijpers, and Maximus with comparable mid-scale specialty brewing model and Benelux distribution. Most direct operational overlap post-acquisition.
• Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck: Belgian family-owned brewery known for Kasteel, Brigand, and Bacchus; comparable heritage positioning, abbey/specialty brand portfolio, and Belgian family-ownership structure similar to Brouwerij Martens.
• Duvel Moortgat: Belgian specialty/abbey-style brewer (Duvel, Vedett, Chouffe, Liefmans) with similar multi-brand portfolio strategy, comparable heritage positioning, and international distribution focus; directly comparable on premium Belgian beer strategy and acquisition-driven growth.
• Palm Breweries (Brouwerij Palm): Belgian regional brewery group producing Palm, Rodenbach, and Estaminet brands with comparable heritage, multi-segment Belgian brand portfolio, and acquisition-driven European expansion; similar family-origin roots and mid-tier Belgian scale.
• Het Anker Brewery: Belgian family-owned brewery producing Gouden Carolus and Lucifer; small-to-mid scale Belgian brewer with comparable heritage-driven positioning, premium/abbey-style specialization, and family-ownership continuity.
• Haacht Brewery: Belgian independent family-owned brewery producing Tongerlo, Keersmaeker, and Super 8; comparable in family-control status, Belgian regional scale, and contract/private-label brewing service model.

Regional players

• Bavaria Brewery (Bavaria N.V.): Dutch family-owned brewer (now part of Royal Swinkels Family Brewers) that Brouwerij Martens will gain exposure to via the United Dutch Breweries acquisition; comparable family-control heritage, multi-brand Benelux strategy, and private-label/contract-brewing capabilities.
• Royal Swinkels Family Brewers: Dutch family-owned brewing group (Bavaria, La Trappe, De Molen); relevant Benelux comparable with similar family-ownership longevity, multi-brand portfolio, and export-led growth model overlapping with Brouwerij Martens' post-UDB trajectory.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brouwerij Martens