BayWa Hops: Insights into the Company`s History

About Us | The History

Today in More than 50 Countries

BayWa trades in hops in more than 50 countries. The focus is on German varieties from the Hallertau and Tettnang regions.

The hop-growing regions of Tettnang and Hallertau are world-famous for their fine, aromatic hops. Our Tettnang and Hallertau Mittelfrueh hop varieties have also been grown in Spalt and the Elbe-Saale region for centuries. These varieties provide brewers with a unique aroma. BayWa Hopfen is represented in Tettnang and Wolnzach in the Hallertau.

In Partnership with Growers and Brewers

The most important ingredient for beer is hops: hand in hand with our hop growers we ensure the production of quality hops, the collection of the hop harvest and the processing of the valuable raw material into various hop products for breweries. BayWa advises farmers on irrigation, fertilisation, crop protection and intercropping. In our own experimental brewery, we promote the breeding of new, resistant varieties that are better able to withstand climate change.

To ensure the best beers, we guarantee the quality of our hops to our customers, the breweries, right at the beginning of the value chain through long-term, trusting cooperation with growers, in some cases over generations.

New flavours are taking over the brewing market and traditional brewers are adding non-alcoholic beer to their range. This is a big step.
Hop Expert Barbara Berger,
Division Manager

BayWa Hops: Our History

  • 1923

    Foundation of Bayerische Warenvermittlung landwirtschaftlicher Genossenschaften AG in Munich – soon to be known simply as BayWa. The commodity- trading business is converted into a public limited company (PLC). In the spirit of the cooperative idea, it takes over the distribution of the farmers' products and offers means of production such as machinery, fertilisers and seeds.

  • 2002

    Acquisition of WLZ Raiffeisen AG - Württembergische Warenzentrale, Stuttgart. BayWa AG's core area expands from Bavaria to Württemberg in southern Germany.

  • 2011

    Start of the hops business in Tettnang (Lake Constance). BayWa supports farmers in the cultivation, processing and marketing of hops.

  • 2016

    BayWa – the Green Heart of Beer: Start of in-house processing. The hop pelleting plant is put into operation. BayWa invests in a new hall and plant.

  • 2017

    Opening of the Hallertau site in Bruckbach near Wolnzach, Bavaria. The first brews are made in the experimental brewery at the agricultural and hop centre. Hop growers can find everything they need to grow hops, from harvesting to complete storage. New hop varieties are developed in cooperation with research institutes and breeders.

  • 2020

    A new company laboratory is established in Tettnang with state-of-the-art technical equipment. All hop quality analyses are carried out using the latest analytical technology to ensure consistent product quality.

  • 2021

    Digital processing: Manual processes are being replaced by automated ones. For example, the digitalisation of processing helps to minimise errors in the drying and processing of hops and to improve quality. 

Hop Contact Form

If you have any questions or comments about BayWa hops, please feel free to contact us using the contact form. Thank you very much!