BrewDog co-founder Martin Dickie leaves the business

BrewDog co-founder Martin Dickie has left the Scottish craft brewer, citing personal reasons.

Dickie (pictured above left), who launched the business with James Watt in 2007, said he was stepping back from the wider alcohol industry after two decades.

It comes a month after Dickie launched a new business in the medicinal cannabis market.

The announcement follows a period of change at BrewDog, which saw co-founder Watt step down from running day-to-day operations as chief executive last year, although he remains an outspoken figure and is still involved with the business.

There will be no further changes to BrewDog’s leadership team following Dickie’s departure.

James Taylor, BrewDog’s third chief executive in a year, described Dickie’s contributions to the business as “immeasurable” and having “inspired countless others in the industry”.

In recent years, Dickie has worked on developing BrewDog’s spirits arm, including its LoneWolf gin, Duo rum and Wonderland ready-to-drink cocktails.

Dickie said, “After over two decades in the brewing and distilling arena sadly for personal reasons it’s time for me to leave the industry that I love deeply and hopefully had a positive impact in.

“Leaving BrewDog isn’t easy, but I’m ready to spend less time travelling and spend some more time at home with my young family. It has been an honour to have worked with incredible, like minded colleagues who live in a world of flavour and experimentation.”

BrewDog operates around 120 bars, hotels and venues worldwide and employs more than 2,700 people.

Last month it closed 10 bars, including its Aberdeen flagship, with the group blaming challenging market conditions.

There have been questions about the group’s future after the Telegraph reported that BrewDog’s beers have been dropped from nearly 2,000 pubs, cutting its distribution by a third.

However, the company said it was still finding success with smaller pubs and with sports venues, festivals and events.