St Andrews BrewDog Closes Following Sale to US Firm

BrewDog’s St Andrews venue on South Street is to close immediately after the sale of the beer-brewing company to American firm Tilray Brands, announced on 2 March. 

The closure comes amid a series of BrewDog closures throughout the UK. The St Andrews BrewDog location opened in 2019 on South Street after the closure of the previous eatery, Nardini's.

On 2 March, Tilray announced a £33 million acquisition of all BrewDog assets — including brand, intellectual property, brewing facilities, and pubs — in the United Kingdom and Ireland. 

According to administrators from restructuring firm AlixPartners, Tilray is closing 38 locations across the country, resulting in 484 job losses; 733 employees will keep their jobs. The move leaves eleven  company-owned pubs active, as well as eighteen franchise locations. The company is also negotiating to acquire BrewDog assets in the US and Australia.

BrewDog was founded in 2007 by James Watt and Martin Dickie. It is the seventh largest beer brand in the UK and exports internationally to a number of countries. 

Tilray Brands is a self-described “global lifestyle and consumer packaged goods company” focused on beverage and cannabis production. It operates in over twenty countries in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Australia.

In a press release, Irwin D. Simon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Tilray Brands, said, “As we begin a new chapter for this great brand, our priority is to refocus BrewDog on the craft beer excellence that made it beloved in the first place and strategically invest to return the operations to profitable growth.”

Simon added, “BrewDog’s future is bright, and we are committed to ensuring the brand continues to lead and inspire the global craft beer movement.”

In October 2025, the brewery had said it would be cutting jobs after a £37 million pre-tax loss in 2024. Then in February 2026, BrewDog announced it had hired AlixPartners to consider potential bids for the business. 

AlixPartners said BrewDog investors, including investors from the “Equity for Punks” program that let thousands of public investors buy small shares in the company, will not receive a return on their investment.

At its peak, Brewdog operated four breweries and nearly 100 locations worldwide, and employed 2,400 workers.

The Saint reached out to the St Andrews BrewDog, but did not receive a response before publication.

Photo by Maria Ebrahim