Soufflet Malt, the malting division of French agribusiness group InVivo, plans to stop production at Belgium's oldest malthouse in Beloeil at the end of December 2026 and transfer production of the Castle Malting range to its facilities in France. The company officially describes the measure as a suspension of production for an indefinite period rather than an irreversible closure, although Belgian media and local authorities have characterized it as the end of production at the historic site. Around 35 jobs across Beloeil and Ghlin are affected, and a formal consultation process with employees has begun.
Soufflet Malt says substantial investment would be required to maintain the Belgian operation and bring the facilities in line with regulatory requirements. An initial report by notélé also referred to an expiring operating permit, but that explanation has since been explicitly rejected by the municipality of Beloeil. The municipality said the site's environmental permit was renewed on December 13, 2024 and remains valid until May 16, 2044.
The maltster's financial performance has nevertheless deteriorated sharply. The Belgian company reported a net result of EUR 16.64 million in 2023, falling to EUR 2.06 million in 2024 before turning into a net loss of EUR 2.14 million in 2025. Revenue declined by approximately 10% in 2025 to EUR 26.41 million. Operating profit followed a similar trajectory, falling from EUR 9.53 million in 2023 to EUR 1.88 million in 2024 and becoming an operating loss of EUR 1.98 million in 2025.
An internal source cited by notélé described the decision primarily as a strategic choice by the group and said the company's financial situation was not considered catastrophic. Soufflet Malt itself has emphasized the scale of the investments necessary to continue production and meet regulatory requirements.
Founded in 1868, the Beloeil operation is regarded as Belgium's oldest malthouse. It had previously been completely shut down before Jean-Louis Dourcy acquired the facility in 2003 and gradually restarted and expanded production. In early 2023, Malteries Soufflet agreed to acquire 100% of the company, giving InVivo a foothold in the higher-value specialty and craft malt segment (inside.beer, 02.01.2023). At that time, the Beloeil plant had an annual capacity of approximately 40,000 metric tons.
Today, Castle Malting supplies more than 3,600 breweries and distillers in over 140 countries and offers around 100 varieties of base and specialty malt. Approximately 95% of production has been exported. The company's particular expertise in caramelized and roasted malts has made the Beloeil operation an important specialty supplier to international brewers as well as several breweries in Wallonia.
The decision will also affect regional breweries including Brasserie des Carrières in Basècles and Brasserie des Légendes in Irchonwelz, which valued Beloeil as a nearby malt supplier. Production of Castle Malting products will now move to Soufflet Malt plants in France. The group says recipes, technical specifications and quality standards will remain unchanged and that customers should experience no interruption in supply.
