Scottish brewing giant BrewDog has confirmed it will shut its Aberdeen Gallowgate bar and its Dundee venue as part of a sweeping closure of ten sites across the UK, in a move that marks a significant retrenchment for the brand.
The company said the closures follow a strategic review of its bar operations, with locations affected ranging from Camden in London to the brand’s original heartland in Aberdeen as well as Dundee, a key Scottish city for BrewDog’s national presence.
Staff at both the Gallowgate site -located nearby BrewDog’s Ellon HQ – and the Dundee bar were reportedly informed earlier this week, with some venues, including those in Aberdeen and Dundee, scheduled to close as early as Friday.
James Taylor, CEO of BrewDog, stated: “We can confirm that following a review of our bars business, we have made the difficult decision to close 10 bars. This reflects a more focused strategy and a rationalisation of our bar footprint. Despite our best efforts, and the hard work of our teams, it has simply not been possible to make these bars commercially viable.
“This decision is not simply a response to the challenging UK hospitality market, but a proactive decision to redefine the bar division’s focus for long-term and profitable growth. We are accounting for ongoing industry challenges, including rising costs, increased regulation, and economic pressures”.
BrewDog said it would seek to redeploy affected staff wherever possible, including those from Aberdeen and Dundee. The company added: “We are working hard to minimise the impact on our people. We remain passionate and firmly committed to our bars and optimistic about the future, as we still see significant long-term opportunity”.
The union United Hospitality publicly criticised BrewDog for the short notice given to staff ahead of the closures, particularly in Aberdeen and Dundee, questioning whether a three-day consultation period met appropriate legal or ethical standards for redundancy processes.
The closures come just days after BrewDog held its lavish 2025 Annual General Mayhem (AGM) event on Friday in Aberdeen, which featured live music performances, guest appearances, and extensive hospitality. The festival-style shareholder gathering is often used by the brand to rally fans and investors, but the timing has raised eyebrows given the impending layoffs, including those in Dundee.
Despite the celebratory tone of the AGM, the business faces mounting financial pressures. BrewDog posted pre-tax losses of £59 million in 2023, more than the combined total of the previous three years, and has now reported four consecutive years of losses, with challenging operating conditions, especially in cities like Dundee and Aberdeen.
The list of affected bars has now been made public, confirming that venues set to close include:
- Aberdeen Flagship (Gallowgate)
- Dundee
- Brighton
- Camden
- Leeds North Street
- Oxford
- Sheffield
- Shepherds Bush
- Shoreditch
- York.
Aberdeen, pivotal to BrewDog’s story since its North East Scotland founding in 2007, and Dundee, a major Scottish city, will now both lose flagship and local BrewDog bars. The company is continuing to operate its bar on Castlegate in Aberdeen, and the Ellon brewery remains in operation. Further updates for specific closure dates will follow.
