Brewdog’s unpaid workers to receive nothing after takeover deal
Brewdog's unpaid workers to receive nothing after takeover deal. From a £1bn dream to a brutal collapse: How Brewdog hit the rocksPublished7 MarchBrewDog's takeover saw 38 bars close across the UK and £20m in unpaid bills left to hundreds of UK businesses.
What happened
Related topicsEllonScotlandBrewDogMore on this storyBrewdog leaves £20m in unpaid bills to UK businessesPublished17 AprilBrewdog founder admits 'many mistakes' as hundreds lose jobs in salePublished4 MarchBars close and hundreds lose jobs as US firm buys Brewdog in £33m dealPublished2 March Image source, EPAImage caption, Aberdeenshire-based Brewdog had more than £500m of debts when it was soldByPaul HastieBBC ScotlandPublished18 September 2026, 11:58 BSTUpdated 2 hours agoSeveral creditors of collapsed Scottish beer giant Brewdog are not expected to receive anything from the administration process.
Administrators say about £489,000 was owed for staff wages and holiday pay and £2. 4m was owed to HMRC for unpaid VAT. A report from administrators AlixPartners said there were "insufficient funds" for payouts from Brewdog's retail arm – including £2. Brewdog had also owed £489,000 for wages and holiday pay, which will not be paid through the administration process. Staff have instead received compensation from the UK government's Insolvency Service. The Aberdeenshire-based brewer had more than £500m of debts when it was sold in March to US drinks firm Tilray in a £33m rescue deal.
The wider picture
Unpaid businesses ranged from coffee shops, bakeries and laundry services, to lawyers, councils and holiday parks. This is due to lower than expected funds raised through sales of Brewdog assets and increased costs during the administration period. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Martin Dickie and James Watt founded Brewdog in 2007The administrators cited unforeseen costs around the security of closed Brewdog pubs after a number of "unauthorised occupiers" gained access. 8 acre field in Potterton, Aberdeenshire, which sold to a local farmer for £41,300Nine Brewdog vehicles of "old age and varying roadworthiness" that made only £6,250 from just one sale.
Get in touchAre you a Brewdog creditor or worker affected by this? Contact formContact formParent company BrewDog PLC is still expected to pay its preferential creditor, HMRC, in full for £3. Brewdog's biggest debt was to financial services group HSBC, which was owed more than £61m across various banking arms. Brewdog also owes around £190m to unsecured creditors.
What has been reported
They are expected to receive less than a penny in the pound of what they are owed. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Brewdog's collapse brought the immediate closure of 38 UK pubsIn March 440 staff were made redundant and 736 employees transferred to Tilray, after the US firm bought Brewdog's brand and UK operation. Redundant staff can claim for unpaid wages through the government's Insolvency Service. AlixPartners said workers were given information on this support. Brewdog's collapse also rendered the shares of about 200,000 crowdfunding investors worthless.
Brewdog, which was founded in 2007 by friends James Watt and Martin Dickie, had four breweries and about 100 pubs across the world at its peak. Brewdog's owner Tilray has been approached for comment. Skip to main contentSkip to navigation ‘It’s so violating. [They look] just like me, but the upside-down version. ’ Illustration: Guardian Design/TiktokView image in fullscreen‘It’s so violating. [They look] just like me, but the upside-down version. ’ Illustration: Guardian Design/TiktokDeepfakes are wrecking influencers’ credibility, one fake ad at a timeInfluencers aren’t just battling competitors for brand deals.
What happens next
There was just one problem: Schuman had never heard of Gala and had nothing to do with the ad. The vulnerability represents a new workplace threat: influencers aren’t just competing for brand deals with other creators, but also fighting to preserve the credibility of their own likeness – the very asset that generates their income. While the ad industry has always blurred the line between real and fake with airbrushing, CGI and other digital editing tools, the rise of AI has allowed brands to generate content from nothing with minimal production costs.
Not only do deepfakes hurt brand deals for individual influencers, but they also challenge the entire influencer marketing ecosystem. Creditors included West Ham United FC, Lord's Cricket Ground and Manchester University. AlixPartners said there were now "insufficient funds" for preferential creditors to be repaid. AlixPartners said it worked with landlords and lawyers to remove them.
The report has been compiled by The Daily Waves using information reported across bbc.co.uk, theguardian.com. Details are presented according to the information available at the time of publication and may change as authorities, organisers or other relevant parties provide updates.