BrewDog Exeter closes as 38 UK bars shut with immediate effect

The Exeter branch of Scottish craft beer chain BrewDog has closed with immediate effect after the company entered administration and agreed the sale of much of its UK business.

The move follows a day in which all BrewDog bars across the country were closed as the company worked to complete the transaction and hold staff briefings.

Earlier on Monday, Clare Kennedy, Ian Partridge and Ben Browne of AlixPartners were appointed Joint Administrators to BrewDog PLC and related UK entities. 

Shortly afterwards, a deal was agreed with Tilray Brands UK Ltd, a subsidiary of Tilray Brands Inc., to acquire key parts of the business.

The transaction includes BrewDog’s brewery in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, its national distribution centre in Motherwell, and 11 retail bars in the UK and Ireland. 

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In total, 733 UK jobs are being preserved through the sale, with affected employees transferring under TUPE arrangements.

However, 38 bars across the UK have closed with immediate effect, leading to 484 redundancies. BrewDog’s Exeter site is among those listed for closure.

In a statement, the Joint Administrators said no offer had been made during the sales process that would have preserved the business in its entirety. 

They added that specialist support is being provided to redundant staff, including help with claims for outstanding pay and efforts to identify alternative employment opportunities within the leisure sector.

There will be no return to equity holders, including investors who participated in the company’s high-profile “Equity for Punks” crowdfunding scheme.

The developments come just weeks after BrewDog confirmed it had been put up for sale following a strategic review. 

Consultants from AlixPartners were brought in after the firm failed to make a profit in recent years. 

In October 2025, the company announced job cuts after posting a £37m loss, and earlier this year it closed 10 bars across the UK.

Founded in 2007 in Aberdeenshire by James Watt and Martin Dickie, BrewDog grew from a small craft brewery into an international brand with around 60 bars in the UK and breweries in the United States, Australia and Germany. It currently employs about 1,400 people globally.

In an internal email to staff ahead of Monday’s closures, chief executive James Taylor said a series of company-wide meetings would be held to explain what would happen next.

“We appreciate this is an unsettling time for everyone, and we want to ensure that all colleagues have the opportunity to hear directly from us about what happens next,” he said.

“To enable everyone to attend, and to comply with licensing issues arising from an anticipated change of ownership, we have taken the decision that none of our bars will open tomorrow (Monday 2 March). All sites will remain closed for the day.”

“We have also cancelled food and beer deliveries, as well as customer bookings, for that day.”

The company had already halted production of its gin and vodka brands at its Ellon distillery last month in a bid to “sharpen” its focus on core operations.

BrewDog has faced a number of challenges in recent years. 

In 2024 it drew criticism after announcing it would no longer hire new staff on the real living wage, opting instead to pay the legal minimum wage. 

A BBC documentary also examined allegations about the conduct of co-founder James Watt, prompting a complaint to Ofcom, which was later rejected. James Watt subsequently stepped down as chief executive, moving into a “captain and co-founder” role. Martin Dickie left the business last year for personal reasons.

BrewDog’s 18 franchise bars in the UK and internationally are unaffected and will continue to operate.