BrewDog co-founder Martin Dickie leaves Scottish brewing firm ‘unexpectedly’
One of BrewDog’s co-founders has left the Scottish beer giant.
In an ‘unexpected’ move, business co-founder Martin Dickie has reportedly left the business for personal reasons, according to The National.
In an email to staff, Mr Dickie shared the announcement, saying: “This business has been my life for the last 18 years and I have enjoyed (almost) every minute.
“I have been inspired by and loved working with and learning from so many interesting people who have worked in our business over the years from all over the world.”
Mr Dickie also thanked the staff for helping to create the “best beers and bars across the country”.
He reminded staff that "people are spending their hard-earned money on something we have made - make their BrewDog moment special”. Mr Dickie added: “I’m excited to watch from the sidelines as your biggest supporter as you continue to push the business forward with your talent and drive."
Mr Dickie co-founded the beer firm with James Watt in 2007 after he had trained as a brewer and worked at a Derbyshire start-up for two years. Speaking to The Scotsman in 2014, Mr Dickie summed up the duo’s roles at the time, saying: “I’m responsible for production and James is in charge of all the other things. That’s one of the best things about it.”
Mr Dickie’s IPA brew is still a top seller for the firm. In 2020, he joined The Scotsman’s podcast Scran to talk about the business to date and the company’s future plans.
His decision comes just a month after it was announced that BrewDog would be closing ten bars, including their flagship venue in Aberdeen - the site of their first bar.
It is understood the closure plans, which are part of a fresh strategy for the brewing firm’s hospitality arm, will put close to 100 jobs at risk.
The Scottish craft brewing giant said it has made efforts to preserve the site, but it “has simply not been possible to make these bars commercially viable”.
Mr Watt told staff the closures were part of a refresh of its estate, partly in response to “rising costs, increased regulation, and economic pressures” on the sector.
Mr Dickie was last month reported to have invested £20m into a new medicinal cannabis company.
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