Ever wondered where Berlin’s restaurants get their fresh produce? The answer lies here at Berliner Großmarkt GmbH. This is no ordinary market. It is a vital hub for the city’s food supply.
Berliner Großmarkt GmbH is located in Moabit. You will find it on Beusselstraße. It stands proudly next to the Westhafen. Covering over 326,000 square meters it is a vast space teeming with activity. Approximately 300 wholesalers operate here. They offer diverse goods and services.
Let’s talk about what they offer. The range is expansive. Fruits and vegetables abound at Fruchthof Berlin. You can find meat and sausages, seafood, fresh and frozen fish. Drinks, convenience foods, specialties, and delicacies are available. The Blumengroßmarkt offers cut flowers and plants. Floristry supplies are also sold. Services support the market. These include storage, transport, cooling, and repairs.
Petra Cardinal manages Berliner Großmarkt GmbH. The company is state-owned. It operates independently. The supervisory board includes members of the Berlin Senate.
The market handles a massive volume. Around 600,000 tons of goods pass through annually. Fruits and vegetables account for about 220,000 tons. The market serves six million people. Its reach extends beyond Berlin/Brandenburg. It goes as far as Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Many businesses reside here. They provide roughly 2,500 jobs. The market administration employs 27 people. Berliner Großmarkt is open 24 hours a day. Different sections have varying hours. The fruit and vegetable hall is open early until late. The flower market has specific morning hours. The meat market operates from morning to night.
Originally, Berliner Großmarkt managed Berlin’s market halls. The city built these between 1883 and 1892. There were eleven halls throughout the city. A flower market hall was added in 1937.
World War II damaged many halls. Some were rebuilt like the ones at Marheinekeplatz. The central market hall at Alexanderplatz was destroyed. It housed the Großmarkt Berlin administration. Rebuilding was impossible so the market moved in 1949. In 1960, it became Berliner Großmarkt GmbH. The company secured a new location on Beusselstraße. It opened on March 20, 1965.
In later years, the site expanded. Halls for fruits, vegetables, and meat were added. In 1969, the company acquired the flower market. It also acquired retail market halls. A new fish hall was built in 1975. A new fruit and vegetable hall arrived in 1987.
Extensive renovations occurred in 2007. The fruit and vegetable market reopened in March 2008. A new flower market hall replaced the old one in 2009. It opened in May 2010. The old flower market on Friedrichstraße closed. Some wholesalers moved to the new building.
Berliner Großmarkt aims for sustainability. The company installed a large photovoltaic area in 2012. It is Berlin’s largest rooftop solar power plant. An energy concept was agreed upon in 2013. It includes studies and an energy management plan. Future plans involve electric vehicles. A combined heat and power plant is planned. It will process wood waste.
The market has already taken steps toward sustainability. It switched to certified green electricity. It modernized cooling for the flower market. It improved heating for the fruit and vegetable hall. These measures reduced CO2 emissions. The solar power plant further reduced emissions.
Berliner Großmarkt GmbH continues to evolve. It remains a vital part of Berlin’s economy and food culture.