Brewdog staff 'upset and concerned' by sale plans

Brewdog staff 'upset and concerned' by sale plans

Employees at Brewdog are expressing significant anxiety about their job security following reports that the craft beer company might be sold. According to the Unite union, staff have been left uneasy after hearing about the potential sale, which could involve breaking up the Aberdeenshire-based firm, as financial advisors AlixPartners have been hired to attract new investors.

Unite highlighted that many employees were only informed through a single email from senior management, with some discovering the news of the possible sale through media coverage. Brewdog has confirmed that the changes do not affect daily operations, job roles, or immediate business plans. The company stated it engaged AlixPartners due to the difficult economic conditions and aimed to preserve the business’s “long-term strength and sustainability.”

Bryan Simpson, Unite’s hospitality lead, described a surge in concerned messages from staff, particularly those at the Ellon brewery, where some workers have had their weekly hours reduced from 32 to 24—resulting in a loss of around £400 in income. Simpson stressed the gravity of the situation, pointing out that this is not just about a brand’s potential downfall but about real people’s livelihoods, saying, “Let’s be clear, this isn’t just the potential collapse of a brand, this is people’s jobs, this is people’s rent, how they pay their bills and their childcare and yet they are being informed about the sale of their employer through the press. That is morally unacceptable.”

Founded in 2007 by James Watt and Martin Dickie, Brewdog has grown to operate bars and breweries worldwide, including roughly 60 locations in the UK. In 2017, the company sold a 22.3% stake to San Francisco-based private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners shortly after announcing job cuts following a £37 million loss. More recently, Brewdog has attracted attention for both its marketing efforts and controversial workplace policies. In 2024, the company faced criticism after announcing that new hires would be paid the statutory minimum wage rather than the real living wage

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