The past few years have been anything but straightforward for BrewDog. From rows over workplace culture to the loss of B-Corp accreditation, the sale of its Lost Forest project and a trimmed bar estate, capped off by two years of heavy losses (£36m this year, and £60m the year before), the brewer has had no shortage of challenges.

But, instead of shying away from its past controversies, BrewDog seems intent on meeting them directly.

Earlier this month, the Scottish independent brewer launched its campaign, titled “What Have BrewDog Done Now?”, using parody headlines to shift attention back to what it describes as matters most: beer.

Because in fact, while BrewDog has rarely been out of the headlines over the past few years, behind the noise, the company is attempting a reset.

New leadership, a sharpened strategy, a reworked bar estate and a booming grocery arm have all put the Aberdeenshire beer brand onto a different path, one that newly appointed chief operating officer Lauren Carrol says is centred on a simple focus: “Everything is about the beer.”

Grocery Gazette caught up with Carrol to discuss the new campaign, the shadow of its old controversies, its plans to turn the financial tide around and its vision of becoming “the most exciting beer brand in the world”.

Snow is falling outside BrewDog’s Ellon brewery when Lauren Carrol logs on from Aberdeen.

Despite the weather, her enthusiasm is unwavering. It has been, she says, “a brilliant week”, which feels a fitting metaphoric counterpoint for a business that has spent the last 18 months trying to re-establish momentum after a turbulent period.

Carrol, who was promoted in March from chief marketing officer to chief operating officer, has become one of the most influential figures in BrewDog’s new management team.

She steps into the role after a rapid succession of senior departures over the past year, in a period marked by shifting strategy, short CEO and COO tenures and growing questions over financial stability, including the resignation of co-founder James Watt as CEO, who remains on the board but is no longer “involved in the day-to-day running of the business.”

Photo: Brewdog’s canned beer range

But for Carrol, who joined BrewDog seven years ago as a project manager in supply chain, the transition has felt “a natural evolution”.

Nowhere is that clearer than in grocery. BrewDog is still the seventh-biggest brewer in the UK by value, worth £157m in the latest 52 weeks, and its craft portfolio alone is worth £103m.

Recent trade coverage has highlighted that BrewDog’s grocery business has been outperforming other parts of the group. In the first half of 2024, grocery sales inched up while volumes jumped 10% year-on-year, outperforming the total grocery beer volume market by 13 percentage points.

Carrol confirms that picture is still broadly accurate: “We’ve always been really strong in the off-trade and particularly in grocery,” she says.

Distribution across core SKUs remains “phenomenal”, with Punk IPA still the number one craft leader. BrewDog’s numbers show 44% of Punk shoppers are entirely new to the category, something Carrol sees as crucial to both share and penetration.

“It’s without a doubt our number one leading channel,” she says.

New launches have helped too. Wingman, introduced two years ago, is now “the fourth best craft beer SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) in the UK,” while Cold Beer continues to gain momentum.

Five of the UK’s top ten craft beer brands are BrewDog’s, anchored by Punk IPA (£37m), Hazy Jane (£22m), Wingman (£11m) and a £9m mixed multipack range. In the off-trade, 4.3 cans of BrewDog are sold every second.

Carrol says this mix of broad distribution, brand familiarity and accessible NPD explains why grocery has weathered the turbulent period better than BrewDog’s on-trade.

Balancing bars and off-trade

Still, BrewDog’s bars remain a significant part of the story, with some sites, particularly international projects, having struggled to make money in recent years.

In July, the brand announced it was to close 10 UK bars due to “industry challenges”, while last month chief executive Taylor revealed it is set to make job cuts across the company in a bid to “right-size” the business.

Carrol says the restructuring already carried out was largely about “focus” rather than downsizing for its own sake.

“There were certain bars and certain areas that … were just really difficult to make profitable,” she explains.

BrewDog has warned that the UK brewing and hospitality sector is facing a £1bn cost surge over the past year.

Closing loss-making sites has allowed BrewDog to concentrate resources on bars “that have got huge untapped potential”.

And, Carrol emphasises, the bar estate is not being deprioritised in favour of grocery. Instead the ambition, she says, is to create stronger synergy between the two. Recent on-pack promotions encouraged supermarket shoppers to redeem a “burger and pint for £10” in BrewDog bars, a small example of what she describes as a “fully omnichannel approach”.

Meanwhile, experience is the central pillar of the on-trade strategy.

For example, its Waterloo site complete with slide, bowling and daily beer tastings, is one version of the model, but Carrol stresses that not all sites will look like that. Instead, she is deploying a more segmented approach: some bars are family-led, some are for quick drinks, others for nights out.

“It’s about understanding the occasions people visit,” she says.

A new campaign and the shadow of old controversies

One of BrewDog’s recent headline grabbing moves is the launch of its latest marketing campaign that pokes fun at the company’s own past controversies.

Carrol describes it simply as “a bit of fun” with a single purpose: to get people talking about beer.

“You want campaigns to be polarising,” she says. “Ultimately, it’s about the beer … bold headlines, but the actual message is: here’s our beer, here’s why it’s phenomenal.”

BrewDog has launched a new national marketing campaign that turns the tables on its own tabloid-style controversies.

Yet BrewDog’s staff culture has been a major point of contention in the company’s recent history, following publicised allegations around workplace culture, HR and previous leadership.

Asked how the campaign was received internally, Carrol insists: “I think we’ve really moved on. That was a long time ago now.”

She says BrewDog shared the campaign in advance with teams to check for sensitivities and it was “well received”.

The broader cultural shift, she says, stems from “Fresh”, an internal change programme launched earlier this year by Carrol and new CEO James Taylor. It is built around four pillars: beer quality and freshness, reinvigorating bars, investing in people, and regaining “buzz”.

Within that, BrewDog has updated training, run staff surveys, reviewed benefits and holidays, and invested in learning and development.

Carrol describes it as “taking the team on a journey” under new leadership.

Where Brewdog goes next – ‘the most exciting beer brand in the world’

Asked for her top priority over the next year, Carrol is unequivocal: “Our vision … is to be the most exciting beer brand in the world.”

That ambition spans the entire business, and is not limited to NPD, including upcoming alcohol-free innovations and new fruit beer entry, the bar experience, brewing excellence, and employee development. “Everything comes together,” she says, “and ultimately everything delivers that bottom line.”

Like the rest of the industry, BrewDog is keeping a close eye on the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).

Carrol calls the DRS situation “very, very difficult”, adding that the business worries that current plans risk being “unworkable” and “detrimental to producers and retailers”.

EPR is also expected to be “very challenging”, though again, Carrol notes that final details remain uncertain and that BrewDog is awaiting further clarity before making major packaging or operational changes.

The cost climate across the sector is no easier. “There’s cost pressures all over the place,” she says. The response has been a push for “operational efficiency [and] cost control”, but Carrol stresses that BrewDog “would never compromise” on beer quality.

The wider market, meanwhile, faces regulatory burdens, inflation and a Budget that hospitality will watch closely.

“There definitely needs to be some relief,” she says of the sector.

Yet despite the challenges, Carrol’s position is clear: the path forward is through exciting beer, a stronger culture and a more tightly focused business.

And with grocery still outperforming, and new leadership now settled, BrewDog is betting that simplicity, consistency and a genuine passion for beer, rather than shock tactics, will define the next chapter.