BrewDog Beers Axed From Almost 2,000 Pubs Across Britain

ByMF Jones

BrewDog was once one of the fastest growing companies around and considered to be the hipster beer of choice in the UK, but things have taken a remarkable downturn in recent years following a load of controversies, including treating their employees like sh1t and running dodgy marketing stunts.

According to the Telegraph, BrewDog beers have now been taken off the taps at almost 2,000 pubs across Britain in the last two years.

This comes after the brewery, distillery and pub chain announced the closure of 10 of its bars last month, citing ‘ongoing industry challenges’ such as rising costs.

Their famous beer, Punk IPA, has also disappeared from 1,980 pubs, according to pub industry data.

Why BrewDog Beer Was Dropped from 2,000 Pubs – A Look at the Brewery's Troubled History

BrewDog has addressed the news by claiming ‘every independent brewer has been affected’ by economic pressures, and arguing that actually, this will benefit them in the long run as they focus on stadiums, festivals and independent free trade.

However, an industry source told the Telegraph that the bar chain was ‘losing taps in the [pub and bar trade] like you wouldn’t believe’.

Meanwhile, pubs are said to be stocking Camden Town and Beavertown instead.

The situation has left BrewDog massively reliant on JD Wetherspoon’s, which still serves it for now. An insider revealed: ‘If they ever lost the JD Wetherspoon deal, then that’s Punk IPA done as a [pub trade] product.’

The brand recorded £59m losses in 2023 and £30.5m losses in 2022, which resulted in the aforementioned closures of 10 of their own pubs, including the flagship site in Aberdeen.

James Watt, chief executive officer of Brewdog Plc, poses for a photograph at the company's bar in Shoreditch, London, U.K., on Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2015. The craft beer brewers have raised more than ??10 million in a crowdfunding project in which more than 35,000 people have invested, according to a statement on the company's website. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Many will say this couldn’t have happened to a more dislikable company, but you do have to feel bad for the staff who you suspect might be looking for new employment soon. Unfortunately, multiple stories of a toxic working environment and the founder and ex-CEO (James Watt, pictures above) being a bit of a scum bag resulted in reputational damage that the brewery has struggled to bounce back from. Their prices probably didn’t help much, either.

Lauren Carrol, current BrewDog COO, said: ‘Independent brewers across the board have felt the squeeze from the economic pressures hitting the pub trade. With costs rising and consumers watching their spend, pub groups have been narrowing their ranges, and brewery-owned pubs are putting more emphasis on their own brands.

‘It’s not just us — every independent brewer has been affected.

‘We saw the trend coming, which is why we’ve shifted focus to high-impact channels like festivals, stadiums, and the independent free trade. We’re seeing strong growth there, with recent collaborations at Lord’s Cricket Ground and the London Stadium showing our ambition to be the world’s most exciting beer business.

‘We remain committed to the managed retail channel, and we’ll keep working closely with partners to serve up incredible beer and unforgettable experiences.’

For the time the ex-BrewDog owner was conned out of £100k by an ex-girlfriend he hired to take down ‘relentless trolls’, click HERE. Lol.

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