Brewdog to close 10 pubs across UK, some ‘within days’

Scottish craft beer giant Brewdog is to close 10 bars across the UK, including its flagship pub in Aberdeen.

Trade union Unite criticised the move and said some of the pubs would shut “within days”.

The bars earmarked for closure are in Aberdeen, Dundee, Leeds, Brighton, Oxford, Sheffield, York and three in London.

The Scottish brewery and pub group was founded by fishermen James Watt and Martin Dickie in Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, in 2007.

A spokesperson for Brewdog said the “difficult decision” had been taken as a result of “ongoing industry challenges”.

They added these included “rising costs, increased regulation, and economic pressures”.

The spokesperson said: “Despite our best efforts, and the hard work of our teams, it has simply not been possible to make these bars commercially viable.

“This decision is not simply a response to the challenging UK hospitality market, but a proactive decision to redefine the bar division’s focus for long-term and profitable growth.”

The spokesperson acknowledged some of the locations chosen were “woven into” the company’s’ history.

But they said there was “no realistic prospect of making these venues commercially viable”.

Bryan Simpson, national lead for hospitality at Unite, said: “For Brewdog to give loyal workers less than four days notice of the closure of their workplace is not just morally repugnant, it is potentially unlawful.

“This is yet another example of a company that doesn’t have the slightest regard for basic employment law let alone the welfare of their workers.

“We are currently supporting our members across these 10 sites to collectively challenge these redundancies, and we would urge anyone impacted to reach out to us for legal support.”

Brewdog said a 14-day consultation process would be carried out for all staff at risk of redundancy.

The company would not disclose the number of employees affected and told BBC Scotland News its focus was on redeployment.

The company is known for its craft beers and IPAs and has breweries and pubs across the globe, including 71 in the the UK, of which 17 are in Scotland.

It also has bars in Dubai, the USA and Australia.

In recent years Brewdog has made headlines for its marketing campaigns and workplace culture.

In 2021 former workers used an open letter to highlight what they said was a “culture of fear” within the business and “toxic attitudes” to junior staff.

The following year several ex-Brewdog workers accused founder and former CEO Mr Watt of inappropriate behaviour in a BBC Disclosure investigation.

Lawyers for Mr Watt said the allegations were false.

But Ofcom rejected complaints that Brewdog and Mr Watt were unfairly treated by the programme.

In January last year the firm also faced a backlash after revealing it would no longer hire new staff on the real living wage, instead paying the lower legal minimum wage.

Mr Watt stood down as CEO last year and moved to a newly-created position of “captain and co-founder” but retained his shares in the company.

The firm expanded into the Chinese market in 2023 in a joint venture with US brewing giant Budweiser.

Revenue for the company grew to £321.2m in the 2022-23 financial year.

The company struggled to make a profit for a few years, but it was reported to have returned to profitability in 2024.

• Aberdeen Flagship (Gallowgate)
• Brighton
• London Camden
• Dundee
• Leeds North Street
• Oxford
• Sheffield
• London Shepherds Bush
• London Shoreditch
• York