BrewDog to close 10 UK bars

BrewDog has confirmed it will close 10 bars, including its Aberdeen flagship, following a review of its UK business.

 

The closures, including sites in Brighton, Camden and York, will leave the group with around 61 bars across the UK.

 

It is not clear how many jobs will be impacted by the plans, but The Caterer understands BrewDog will hold one-to-one meetings with staff who are at risk of redundancy and hopes to find them other roles within the business.

 

In a note to all staff, chief executive James Taylor blamed the closures on ongoing challenges facing the UK hospitality industry, including “rising costs, increased regulation, and economic pressures”, as well as a shift in focus for the brand.

 

Taylor wrote: “As part of this strategic review, we have made the difficult decision to close 10 bars. This includes some venues that are woven into our history, including Aberdeen, which was our first ever bar, and Camden, the first bar we opened in London.

 

“Despite our best efforts, and the hard work of the teams in each of these bars, it has simply not been possible to find a formula to make these bars viable due to their size, location and other limiting factors.”

 

He added: “Following much consideration, we have sadly concluded that there is no realistic prospect of making these venues commercially viable. Keeping them open would put pressure on the wider business, making it harder to invest where we know we can grow. This decision is not simply a response to the challenging UK hospitality market, but a proactive decision to redefine the bar division’s focus.”

 

BrewDog has committed to becoming an “experience-led” brand, splitting its bars into small community and large-format destination hubs, like its site in London’s Waterloo, which was dubbed “London’s biggest bar” when it launched in August 2022.

 

The bar group and brewer said it was underdoing a consultation process with all affected staff that will last a minimum of 14 days. However, in a post on X Unite Hospitality claimed the team were only given a three-day notice period.

 

A spokesperson for BrewDog said: “We are working hard to minimise the impact on our people, and we expect to redeploy many affected team members across the BrewDog network. For those leaving the business, we’re providing as much support as possible during this transition. We remain passionate and firmly committed to our bars, and optimistic about the future, as we still see significant long-term opportunity.”

 

News of the closures comes after Taylor, BrewDog’s former chief financial officer, took over from James Arrow as chief executive in March.

 

BrewDog was founded in 2007 by James Watt and Martin Dickie. It became known for its headline-grabbing marketing stunts, including driving a tank through Camden to celebrate the brand’s move into England and dropping taxidermy ’fat cats’ from a helicopter over the City of London.

 

In 2021, more than 100 former employees accused the business of creating a “culture of fear” among staff. Watt later apologised and said the company was "committed to doing better".

 

BrewDog later said a review of the claims found that despite the criticism, the “vast majority” of its employees enjoyed working at the company.

 

Watt stepped down as chief executive after 17 years at the business in May 2024, though he remains a member of the board.

 

In BrewDog’s latest results for the year ended 31 December 2024, it posted gross revenues of £357m and adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) of £7.5m. The brewery said it had returned to profit for the first time since 2021. 

 

The full list BrewDog bars set to close due to the strategic review are as follows:

 

Aberdeen Flagship (Gallowgate)

Brighton

Camden, London

Dundee

Leeds North Street

Oxford

Sheffield

Shepherds Bush, London

Shoreditch, London

York