Brewdog announces job cuts after posting £37m loss | UK News

Scottish beer giant Brewdog has announced job cuts across the business after posting a £37m loss last year.

It is the fifth year running that the firm, headquartered in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, has posted pre-tax losses – now totalling £148m.

Brewdog has not confirmed how many jobs will go. Staff were informed about the cuts in an email from chief executive James Taylor.

The announcement comes after the departure of Brewdog co-founder Martin Dickie and the closure of 10 bars across the UK earlier this year.

Chief executive James Taylor told staff that a difficult decision had been made to “right-size” parts of the business.

He said: “We’ve taken time to review our structure and ensure we’re focusing our energy and investment in the right areas.

“These changes have affected a number of roles across several departments.”

He added: “We don’t take these decisions lightly, but we are confident that the steps we’re taking now will help us operate more simply, stay focused, and drive the business forward.”

The trade union Unite said roles could be lost from Brewdog’s Ellon brewery and described it as a “deeply worrying sign for the company’s future.”

The cuts follow the sale this week of the Kinrara rewilding estate in the Highlands, which Brewdog bought for £8.8m in 2020 and named the “Lost Forest”.

The firm vowed to establish the UK’s biggest native woodland and peatland restoration project, supported by sales of its Lost Forest lager.

But critics said newly-planted trees had failed to grow and buildings marked to become an eco-hotel, distillery and outdoor centre were sold off.

The estate, near Aviemore, has now been sold to land investment firm Oxygen Conservation.

Brewdog was founded by friends James Watt and Martin Dickie in 2007.

The company is known for its craft beers and IPAs and has breweries and pubs across the globe, including about 60 in the the UK.

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

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

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