BrewDog to close six pubs due to spiralling costs and ‘no prospect of help from clueless government’ | Business News

37 comments

  1. Yeah, they’re not really pubs – it’s basically casual dining. I know the Dalston one well and it’s never once been busy. The government are fucking hopeless but this is BrewDog saving face a bit.

  2. As businesses energy deals come up to renewal we will see more that no longer viable to stay open.

    The properties themselves are in a sticky spot then, no one can afford to lease them whilst also paying energy costs.

    It’s going to snowball, this is going to be a rough 5-10 years.

  3. I have a lot of sympathy for the pub industry; there were a worrying number lost even before the recent challenges. But very little for BrewDog. I’m guessing we can thank their PR department for getting their name into this headline.

  4. Imagine getting a £50,000 energy bill and no customers because they’re too busy paying their own £4000 bill.

    Madness.

  6. We all live in a sinking submarine, a sinking submarine, a sinking submarine. We all live in a sinking submarine, a sinking submarine, a sinking submarine.

  7. They want help like they help their employees? It’s a bad spot to be in but it’s hard to feel for a company like them.

  10. So nothing to do with the fact that no company will book tables there anymore? Around the City, bars heavily rely on expenses and it’s just not really acceptable to book Brewdog anymore.

  14. Very little to do with the government and more to do with BrewDog capitalising on brief popularity a few years ago and opening a load of extra bars across London quickly to cash in while they could. They aren’t anywhere near as popular as they were 7 or 8 years ago – so of course they need to shut some bars that aren’t making money.

  15. They need a new advertising campaign. Maybe try advertising for some advertising people, get them to present ideas, nick the ideas, the ghost them.

  16. I have (had) a lot of respect for BrewDog for bringing subculture beer into the UK mindscape and helping to make “craft” or “alternative” beer acceptable.

    However, after the multiple scandals involving their owners, managers and abuse of staff and then failing to address the culture all together I will never buy a BrewDog pint or retail product again.

    I have a few friends in the brewing circle and it is an inclusive space with all walks of life and lots of young women. There is no room for sexism or inappropriate behaviour towards women in the brewing industry. Attitudes and values have changed and it is moving away from being a male dominated industry. BrewDog, with it’s exploitative culture and its leaders lack of action in applying the necessary drastic changes needed to transform itself, is doomed to repeat it’s past mistakes.

    I am worried for brewers and the industry in general right now. Brewing plants use a lot of energy both to heat water and to refrigerate ingredients to keep them fresh. With spiralling energy costs, I can see many independent brewers and stockists go under – if BrewDog are complaining and they are the biggest, then what does that say about the state of play in general?

  17. > The craft beer firm will shut the Hop and Anchor in Aberdeen, Smithfield Market Arms in London, Hop Hub in Motherwell and its BrewDog bars in Dalston, east London; Old Street, east London; and Peterhead, Scotland.

  18. Brewdog like many others are effectively an overpriced luxury (one I do enjoy as a treat myself, love a Hazy Jane). But as we all look to find a way to pay Shell and BP the £4000 a year they want for ~~their shareholders~~ my energy use, people are are going to be looking to cut back and £4 cans of beer will be one of the first things to go. It’s going to be rough for pubs and breweries this next year.

  21. BrewDog seems to basically only havs its brand as its USP, the beer is fine and the food is forgettable. They seem to run on slightly edgey branding and the vibe.

    Not really enough when peoples disposable income dries up.

  24. i walk past the brewdog in brixton quite often and it’s always empty or barely has people in it. There’s no appeal to me as to why i’d go in there – seems like more of a them problem to be honest

  25. Brewdog are cunts. The owners are actually the worst people. Here’s hoping that the rest of their business dies next too.

  26. Classic business mistake of expanding to fast with multiple chain of stores to try and create greater brand awareness but in doing so create financially difficulty with no income from their outlay.

  30. Three of the bars were shut specifically because of that massive one they opened up in London.

    Three of the others were pretty unpopular (I’ve been to two of them) ones in somewhat strange locations in Scotland. The ‘Motherwell’ one in particular was essentially always empty from when it opened, was in an utterly awful location, considering it was actually in Eurocentral, which is essentially a massive lorry depot/industrial estate, and made fuck all business.

    It’s good that the staff all got relocated and aren’t being pumped too hard, and we’re definitely getting fucked by the government here, but this is typical Brewdog; Blaming literally anything but themselves for a shite move.

  31. It shocks me how so many people think BrewDog is this small micro-brewery, when in fact they’re an multi-national enterprise, having a quarter billion in revenue in the UK alone. Marketing is just that powerful.

  32. Sorry Brewdog, millions of people are going to be lot fucking worse off than you will. Need to quit whining and make some better beer.

  35. Why go to brewdog and buy a pint of Punk IPA for £6.10 when I can go to the spoons down the road and get it for £4.00ish

  36. I worked in a Brewdog for a few months during the pandemic. The pub was rammed Wednesday through Sunday. Brilliant place to work too, great management.

  37. Apparently something good has come out of these hard times!

    They were a shitty company with a fucked up owner, and they deserve to go away completely.

    There are other pubs that are so much better where you don’t feel like you need a shower just based on the kind of person that your money is supporting.

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