BrewDog, the main impartial craft brewer behind manufacturers together with Punk IPA and Elvis Juice, has known as in advisers to supervise a sale that might set off a break-up of one in all Scotland’s best-known companies.
Sky Information has learnt that the board of BrewDog has appointed AlixPartners, the restructuring consultants, to subject curiosity from potential bidders.
Sources mentioned that AlixPartners had begun sounding out potential suitors in the previous couple of days, with a quickfire deadline for indicative provides understood to have been set.
A deal might see lots of BrewDog’s roughly 220,000 particular person shareholders, who grew to become buyers by its ‘Fairness for Punks’ scheme, left with little return from their common outlay of about £400.
Others, nonetheless, made a big return on their funding by promoting their inventory in earlier funding rounds.
The corporate raised about £75m general from the sale of shares to prospects, providing perks corresponding to reductions and early entry to new craft beers.
Its first such crowdfunding passed off in 2009, with the newest in 2021.
BrewDog co-founder James Watt is known to be planning to purchase the corporate again. Pic: PA
The sale course of comes amid robust circumstances for impartial brewers, with the group behind Black Sheep just lately being offered by a pre-pack administration.
Based in 2007, BrewDog earned a reputation for innovation, with founders James Watt and Martin Dickie ceaselessly courting controversy with the model’s advertising campaigns.
Mr Watt, who stays one in all BrewDog’s greatest shareholders, is now reportedly contemplating a bid to purchase the corporate again, with sources indicating that he’s canvassing help from monetary backers.
One insider mentioned the corporate would now command a price ticket of far lower than a once-mooted valuation of £2bn, which had stoked hopes amongst buyers of an eventual inventory market itemizing.
In 2017, TSG Client Companions took a 21% stake in BrewDog in a deal which implied a unicorn valuation of no less than $1bn.
Since then, nonetheless, BrewDog has continued to face mounting losses, closing a string of bars and axing chunks of its workforce.
Final 12 months, the corporate misplaced £37m on turnover of £357m.
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BrewDog trades from 72 bars globally, together with in London and Las Vegas.
It employs roughly 1,400 folks, and boasts a 4% share of the UK off-trade grocery market by worth.
The corporate produces 5 of the highest eight UK craft beer manufacturers, together with Hazy Jane, Wingman and Misplaced.
Its 4 breweries – at Ellon in Scotland, in addition to websites within the US, Australia and Germany – could possibly be offered individually from the remainder of the group, relying on the progress of the AlixPartners-run course of.
5 years in the past, BrewDog was rocked by allegations made by dozens of former workers that it operated “a tradition of worry”.
Mr Watt stepped down as chief govt in 2024, and one supply mentioned this weekend that BrewDog’s look in current lists of respected employers underscored a change in its tradition.
“As with many companies working in a difficult financial local weather and going through sustained macro headwinds, we recurrently overview our choices with a give attention to the long-term energy and sustainability of the corporate.
“Following a 12 months of decisive motion in 2025, which noticed a give attention to prices and working efficiencies, we have now appointed AlixPartners to help a structured and aggressive course of to judge the following section of funding for the enterprise.
“This can be a deliberate and disciplined step with a give attention to strengthening the long-term way forward for the BrewDog model and its operations.”
The corporate added that BrewDog “stays a world pioneer in craft beer: a world-class client model, the No.1 impartial brewer within the UK and with a extremely engaged world group”.
“We consider that this mixture will appeal to substantial curiosity, although no ultimate selections have been made.”
“Our breweries, bars, and venues proceed to function as regular.
“We won’t touch upon any additional hypothesis.”
