BrewDog has announced the closure of 10 bars across the UK, including its flagship venue in Aberdeen, citing an 'extremely difficult' environment for the hospitality industry. The affected sites are located in Aberdeen, Brighton, Camden, Dundee, Leeds North Street, Oxford, Sheffield, Shepherd's Bush, Shoreditch and York.
James Taylor, who became chief executive less than five months ago, informed staff via email that the bars were no longer commercially viable due to 'their size, location and other limiting factors'. He stated that despite efforts, there was no realistic prospect of making them profitable, and keeping them open would strain the wider business.
The closures are scheduled for Saturday. BrewDog declined to specify how many jobs are at risk but confirmed a consultation process lasting at least two weeks, with one-to-one meetings for affected employees. A spokesperson said the company aims to redeploy many team members across its network.
The move comes as the UK hospitality sector faces rising costs from higher national insurance contributions and increases to the national living wage. More than 400 pubs in England and Wales closed last year, reducing the total to below 39,000 for the first time. BrewDog's latest accounts showed revenue grew to £355m in 2023, but pre-tax losses widened to £59.2m due to higher costs and write-downs on underperforming bars.
