Kmflett's Blog

The Allister Heath (Editor Sunday Telegraph) random headline generator is virtually indistinguishable from the real one…

James Watt has posted on LinkedIn his perspective on the sale of Brewdog to Tilray with 38 bars shut and 484 job losses, so far.

Watt admits that at the start back in 2007 he didn’t really know what he was doing, but that said along with Martin Dickie, some great beers were brewed. Neither however had any experience of managing a growing business or a growing workforce. Professional help could have been sought but if it was, it came far too late.

Watt notes

With the benefit of hindsight there are also so many other things I would have done differently. At times we expanded too fast and diversified too broadly. During certain periods I did not control spend well enough across the business and furthermore I feel that I did not respond to certain crises that we faced (and we faced many) in a way that was authentic and true to who I am. Those decisions sit with me.

Hindsight is indeed a great thing but many, particularly those without jobs now, might ask why it took Watt quite so long to work this out…

Donald Trump, never one to think before committing something to Truth Social or opening his mouth has complained that Keir Starmer has not been as enthusiastic about his adventure in Iran as the President wants

Opinion polls can of course be inaccurate but when one finds that only 28% back Trump even allowing for a wide margin of error, its clear that there is not popular support in the UK.

The past weighs like a nightmare on the brain of the living so perhaps Starmer, who opposed the Iraq War in 2003, had a thought that he did not in twenty years time want to be remembered as the person who backed a US President’s warmongering in 2026, as Blair certainly is.

Of course Starmer is backing Trump with US planes using British bases just as Harold Wilson backed Lyndon Johnson on Vietnam in the 1960s. Its not the backing that is the issue its the failure as the White House sees it to be gung ho about it.

Allister Heath is the Editor of the Sunday Telegraph and while this is the product of a random headline generator produced by the New World, its only marginally different from the kind of actual headlines that Heath posts on a regular basis

The Scottish S*n has reported that the CEO of Tilray, Irwin D Simon who has bought Brewdog UK in a cut price deal (FT 3rd March) has said that while 484 Brewdog workers were sacked on the spot on 2nd March its good news for the 733 workers that remain.

They may think differently particularly as Employment Law protect their employment on day one of the transfer to Tilray but not afterwards

There is some good news however. New York based Simon has a dog and he also dislikes being surrounded by yes men. In which case now is the time to recognise Unite the Union as the representative of the remaining Brewdog employees

A Day in the Life of Irwin Simon, Tilray’s CEO and Chairman – Business Insider

After Brewdog the declining value of Big Craft Beer

In the summer of 2015 in the old Beavertown Brewery in Tottenham Hale an event to launch the United Craft Brewers was launched.

Four brewery owners were present

James Watt, Brewdog

Logan Plant, Beavertown

Jason Cuppaidge Camden Town

Richard Burhouse, Magic Rock

Underlining Karl Marx’s point that capitalists are a band of warring brothers the unity did not last very long.

Camden Town sold out to ABInBev at the end of 2015 for a reported £85m

In 2018 Heineken brought a 49% stake in Beavertown for £40m (they now own it 100%)

In 2026 Brewdog sold to US based Tilray for £33m

I’m not sure if Magic Rock beers are still a going concern but if they are they’re being produced at the Black Sheep brewery in Masham by whoever currently owns it.

As an historian I’m wary of comparisons. You can never be really sure that you are comparing like with like.

So the money paid for Camden and Beavertown can be seen arguably as during the peak (what was known as) craft beer period.

The £33m paid for Brewdog (cut price, Financial Times 3^rd March 2026) was a fire sale because it was essentially insolvent. Even so Brewdog is a far bigger concern than either Camden or Beavertown were in 2015 and 2018.

The in principle answer to this decline in value can be found not in a study of James Watt but in a book he has certainly never read, Marx’s Capital. Capitalism operates as a system of boom and bust.  Companies, grow, profits are made but to continue doing so becomes increasingly problematic. Profits (the rate of profit specifically) gets less and eventually some companies fail. The failure creates a space in the market for new companies to appear.

Brewdog is currently the biggest UK craft brewer with most of the top 5 brands. This is mostly in supermarket sales but 800 or so Wetherspoons pubs still currently sell Punk IPA plus cans of Hazy Jane and Elvis Juice. While readers of this post may not be keen (like myself) a glance at the Wetherspoons fan page on FB (a fascinating record of our times btw-seriously) reveals that lots of Spoons drinkers are.

Even so I suspect that the sale of Brewdog and particularly the latest bit of reputational damage- firing 484 workers on the spot via a video call- will mean that the medium term prospects for Brewdog are not great. ABInBev and Heineken will be happy. Capitalism is working just as described by Marx. However there could also be space in the market for what are now called Indy Brewers. Just don’t hire James Watt as an advisor.

Tilray Brands acquires

@BrewDog, a leading global craft brand, creating a ~$500 million global craft brand beverage platform. Accretive acquisition of select assets includes global brand IP, UK brewing operations and 11 strategic brewpubs.

The above is what the news US owners of Brewdog have to say.

Below is what Unite the Union has to say

Unite, which represents thousands of hospitality workers, said it was a “devastating day” and pledged to secure “legal and financial justice” for its members.

Sharon Graham, the union’s general secretary, added: “BrewDog workers built this brand. They deserved respect. Instead, they were treated as disposable pawns.”

Bryan Simpson, Unite’s national lead for hospitality, described the conduct of senior management as “nothing short of a national disgrace”.

He added: “For the CEO to tell workers that they were redundant with immediate effect, on a conference call with only 25 minutes notice, has echoes of P&O and is deplorable.”

Being made redundant by Brewdog. 15 minute call. No questions

38 Brewdog bars were shut with immediate effect on 2^nd March and 484 workers were made redundant.

Below is an account from STV of what happened on the call.

Unite the Union which represents Brewdog workers have rightly said that it is reminiscent of the notorious P&O sackings.

As a union officer I deal frequently with redundancies which are invariably voluntary not compulsory as with Brewdog.

However the employment law process is very similar. There is a requirement to consult (not just inform) and to allow for counter proposals. Clearly this was not done. Since Sky Business has revealed that James Watt’s rejected bid would have saved more jobs and the investments of EFP shareholders the failure to consider alternative proposals with impacted workers seem particularly poor.

Those with over two year’s service (likely a minority in bar work) will be eligible for a statutory redundancy payment- again not mentioned- and of course payment of notice which will again in the industry be brief.

Unite the Union have revealed that since Brewdog was declared insolvent, any money due sacked workers, unpaid wages, redundancy will be publicly funded via the Insolvency Service.

The whole thing has a strong element of contempt for bar workers who kept Brewdog going. Hopefully they won’t get away with it

Staff heard the news on the call, hosted by chief executive James Taylor and Ian Partidge of restructuring specialists AlixPartners.

“There is no viable interest in these bars”, staff told in the Teams meeting, heard by STV News.

“These will close immediately.

“Your role is no longer required. Your position has formally been made redundant. Clearly, we recognise how difficult this news is to hear, and we are truly sorry for that, the impact that this will have.

“We recommend you contact your local job centre as soon as you receive your redundancy letter to ensure your statutory entitlements are not affected.

“We are not opening this call for questions today.”

A staff member, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “All but 11 bars were made redundant.

“We were made to wait until 3.45pm, then given a 15-minute call, telling us we had no job anymore.

“The staff were in bits, upset, worried, panicked about paying rent. Hundreds of staff on a Teams call, no microphones or chance to reply.”