HomeAUAustralian Pubs and Employment Secure Amid UK Company's Workforce Reductions

Australian Pubs and Employment Secure Amid UK Company’s Workforce Reductions

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It seems that several BrewDog pubs in Australia will remain unaffected, even as a significant number of bars in the UK have shut down, resulting in substantial staff layoffs.

BrewDog operates four breweries and nearly 100 pubs worldwide, with five of these establishments located in Australia.

The Australian BrewDog pubs are situated in Murarrie and Fortitude Valley in Brisbane, Pentridge in Melbourne, South Eveleigh in Sydney, and West Perth in Perth, collectively employing dozens of staff members.

An exterior shot of BrewDog DogTap in Murarrie, Brisbane is one of five BrewDog locations in Australia.
An exterior shot of BrewDog DogTap in Murarrie, Brisbane is one of five BrewDog locations in Australia. (Facebook/Dog Tap Brisbane)

In the UK, BrewDog has closed nearly 40 bars and cut 484 jobs following its acquisition by Tilray, a US-based company specializing in beverages and medical cannabis.

This $62 million acquisition was a strategic rescue operation, as BrewDog had struggled for years to achieve profitability.

But it did not save 38 of the brand’s UK locations, nor hundreds of its workers.

Staff were reportedly told they had been made redundant on a conference call with only 25 minutes notice, according to a BBC report.

Unite, a UK trade union representing hospitality workers, called it a “disgrace”.

General view of a BrewDog bar in Clerkenwell as the bar chain and craft beer brewer plans a potential sale of the business.
BrewDog closed dozens of bars and made hundreds of staff redundant in the UK after its sale to Tilray. (Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty)

The BBC reported Tilray and BrewDog are now negotiating for a deal on the firm’s assets in Australia, as well as in the US.

The BrewDog bars in Sydney, Perth and Melbourne, which are independently operated by Australian Venue Co, should not be impacted.

A spokesperson for Australian Venue Co told nine.com.au the closures and redundancies in the UK will not affect its BrewDog venues.

“BrewDog South Eveleigh in Sydney, BrewDog Perth and BrewDog Pentridge in Melbourne will continue to operate as normal and team members will remain in their current roles,” they said.

How the UK closures will affect the other two Australian locations remains unclear.

Nine.com.au has reached out to BrewDog’s Head of Australian Operations and the two Brisbane locations for comment.

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