"It's not easy": Traditional butcher's shop closes after 54 years

The traditional butcher Karl in Garching has closed.

The owner explains why here.

He says: "The package is no longer correct."

Garching – Shortly after noon it was over.

The last sausage went over the counter in the Karl butcher shop in Garching last Saturday.

After 54 years, owner Hermann Karl has closed the traditional butcher's shop.

It wasn't just economic reasons that drove him to the decision, even if Karl felt the competition from the supermarkets more and more.

"You can also take your meat from the self-service counter or the packaged sausage from the refrigerated section at the discounter and you don't have to drive past the butcher," says the 51-year-old.

His parents founded the butcher shop in 1969, Karl learned the trade at the age of 15 and took over the business in 1998.

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Sad news: "Unfortunately, it didn't work out with a successor," says the note on the front door.

© Sabina Brosch

"Being a butcher is a wonderful job," says Karl, but "the package no longer fits."

In this case, the package is the missing successor, the no longer functioning supply chains, the drastically increased costs for production and energy, but also the immense workload.

At the age of 51, you simply no longer work ten to twelve hours a day for days, weeks or months.

If catering orders were added, it was often up to 80 hours a week, says Karl.

"This is reflected in health."

He had his last trainee 20 years ago, and last year his butcher, who had supported him until then, left him.

"My only help is diligent, but the workload cannot be managed with him alone." There was also no prospect of one of the three children moving up into the profession, they all had different professional orientations.

“You had me in mind, and hardly anyone wants to do that anymore.

I don't blame anyone."

From owner to employee

They would have tried everything to find a successor.

Advertisements in trade journals, the butcher's school, a possible participation in the business or the takeover - nobody has contacted us.

In November, Herrmann Karl and his wife Rosemarie decided it was time to put an end to it.

His staff all found new jobs, so Karl took care of it himself.

He has also secured his own future, he will continue to work for another butcher, "no longer independently and for far fewer hours".

He wants to sell his inventory, the machines, the counters, the refrigeration systems.

"I've finished," says Karl.

"But it's not easy."