BrewDog: How the beer brand lost its head

Controversial beer brand BrewDog has a complex history with the B Corp scheme, first becoming certified in February 2021, then losing its status in December 2022. At the time of its certification, co-founder James Watt said he was proud to be part of a community of businesses which “meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance to help build a better world”.  

The company went on to lose its status as a B Corp after apologising over bullying allegations. In 2021, more than 100 current and former employees of the brewery signed an open letter alleging a “culture
of fear”, claiming “being treated like a human being was sadly not always a given for those working at Brewdog”.  

In 2022, a spokesperson for B Lab confirmed the beer company was no longer a certified B Corp.  

It had been rumoured that BrewDog was allegedly investigated by B Lab after the public complaints of a toxic workplace culture. B Lab says it investigates claims against a company on the grounds of either “intentional misrepresentation of practices, policies, or outcomes claimed during a company’s certification process”, or “breaches of the B Corp community’s core values”. 

Read more:

• Brewdog labels itself ‘anti-sponsor’ of Qatar World Cup… but will still show it
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• ‘The world will be a better place!’: Why Big Issue became one of the original B Corps

At the time, Watt reportedly said in an internal memo that the company had decided to “step aside” from its B Corp certification as “B Lab had requested additional measures from Brewdog and the Brewdog board decided these were not something we could do at this time”. Watt explained that the company was “committed” to the values upheld by B Lab.  

On 2 March 2026, the company went into administration, and subsequently the company’s brewery and 11 bars were bought by US company Tilray for £33 million.

Watt, who left the firm in 2024, has since apologised to staff and investors and admitted to making “many mistakes” as it was reported that 484 staff were made redundant as a consequence of the buyout.  

In a statement posted online, Watt said it had been an “incredibly hard” week, and he was “heartbroken” for the employees who had lost their jobs or invested in the company’s Equity for Punks scheme.  

At the height of its success, BrewDog owned four breweries and around 100 pubs worldwide; the company was reportedly worth more than $1 billion. If its trajectory proves one thing, it’s that B Corp works. Its loss of status became a forewarning of trouble ahead. 

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