Brewdog co-founder announces departure for 'personal reasons'

Brewdog co-founder Martin Dickie has announced his departure from the company and alcohol industry for ‘personal reasons’.

Dickie founded the Ellon-based firm with James Watt in 2007, who stepped down as chief executive last year.

After 17 years in the role, Watt took on the newly created non-executive role of “captain and co-founder.”

Watt and Dickie started their business aged 24 from a garage in the north eastern Scottish town of Fraserburgh – selling hand-filled bottles out of a van at local markets.

“After over two decades in the brewing and distilling arena, sadly, for personal reasons it’s time for me to leave the industry that I love deeply and hopefully had a positive impact in”, Dicke said.

“Leaving BrewDog isn’t easy, but I’m ready to spend less time travelling and spend some more time at home with my young family. It has been an honour to have worked with incredible, like minded, colleagues who live in a world of flavour and experimentation.

“Our hard work and passion is dedicated to bringing our customers a moment of beautiful escapism from the real world. In James Taylor and Lauren Carrol, BrewDog is in very strong hands and I will always remain a massive fan.”

It comes a month after the chain announced that it closed ten of its bars after they were deemed “no longer commercially viable“.

The Scottish craft brewing giant’s restructuring included shutting its flagship bar on Aberdeen’s Gallowgate, the first bar opened by the company in 2010, and one in Dundee.

The company said that the departure would result in no new changes to the leadership team.

“Martin’s contributions to BrewDog have been immeasurable,” said James Taylor, BrewDog CEO. “His creativity, passion, and relentless drive have shaped our company over the years and inspired countless others in the industry.

“We would like to thank him for his focus primarily on product quality, NPD, workplace safety and sustainable supplier relationships. Martin will always be part of the BrewDog family, and we wish him every success in the future.”