Slagerij Marcus, the last kosher butcher in the Netherlands, is closing permanently

This is evident from a recently published report by curator Nienke Bobbert.

It was indicative of the demise: the payment deferment of meat processor Gelkos had barely been announced on March 12 when the rabbinate of the Jewish Community of Amsterdam (NIHS) sealed the company’s cold stores, which were still full of ritually slaughtered meat and meat products prepared according to religious rules. .

This step, which was necessary according to the regulations to prevent religious rules from being violated, is indicative of the demise of the last Jewish butcher shop in the Netherlands.

Strict supervision of Jewish rites, but especially stricter government regulations, made ritual slaughter increasingly expensive for Slagerij Marcus. Especially after the government, fearing animal suffering, significantly tightened the rules for ritual slaughter (both kosher and halal) in 2017.

The slaughter became so laborious that it no longer took place in the Netherlands. Butcher Marcus moved abroad, especially Italy, causing costs to continue to rise.

Aging

This made the meat and toppings that Slagerij Marcus in Buitenveldert sold to customers and Gelkos supplied to restaurants, caterers and airlines such as KLM more expensive. And as a result, sales fell, which was also fueled by the further thinning of the Jewish community due to an aging population.

The corona crisis, like so many other companies, pushed the butcher shop further into dire straits. Although the store was able to remain open, deliveries to kosher restaurants, caterers and airlines collapsed.

Even after Covid, there was no relief. Due to the war in Ukraine, prices for meat products rose enormously, because raw materials such as grain became much more expensive. The energy (for the cold rooms) also became considerably more expensive.

In addition, the consequences of the lost wanderlust for Europe among American Jews in particular – first because of Ukraine, since last October because of the terrorist attack by Hamas in Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza – hit the company hard.

Rescue plan

While turnover recovered slightly after corona, losses continued to rise. In total, the company ended up in the red for 375,000 euros between 2020 and 2023.

The Jewish community was working on a rescue plan, but the necessary money was never raised. After a final rescue attempt failed at the beginning of this year, the company applied for a moratorium on March 12, which was converted into bankruptcy two days later. The cold stores had been sealed in the meantime.

According to curator Bobbert, there was then considerable interest in a restart of Slagerij Marcus. Several parties came forward, but none made an offer for the company. What remained was enthusiasm for the stock, brand name and recipes.

The meat has now been sold for 32,000 euros to the Amsterdam Bull Meat, which also takes over the lease of the Gelkos business premises in Westpoort. Not as ‘kosher’. According to Bobbert, the NIHS was not prepared to discuss this. The seals are then broken and the meat is sold as ‘normal’.

Recipes

What remains is the final dismantling of the last Jewish butcher in the Netherlands. The lease of the store in Buitenveldert has been terminated. The sale of the inventory, brand name and recipes, for which the curator wants to raise an amount of 3,000 euros, will follow.

Those proceeds and some bank balances are not nearly enough to offset Gelkos’ debts. There are 21 creditors who claim to be owed almost 200,000 euros.

They must give priority to the Tax Authorities, with a debt of 177,00 euros, the UWV (not yet known) and house bank ABN Amro (20,000 euros). The curator has not yet made any statements about the expectation of repayment.