Ooof https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-57428258

Open letter here – https://www.punkswithpurpose.org/dearbrewdog/

Is all publicity really good publicity?
There seems to be a disconnect between the image and the reality.

They’ll probably launch “Toxic Culture IPA” next month

I almost accepted a job in their Finance department a few years back but the recurring story I got back was expect long hours and they want their pound of flesh. I’m glad I didn’t join as they binned their newly formed Finance department first lockdown. They’ve also been through 3 CFO’s in 3 years, make of that what you will.
It also common to hear that their brewers are or have left to join rival breweries here in the north east. Another recurring story is one of the founders is ok, the other a narcissistic douche bag

Doesn’t sound all power to the punk behind closed doors.

Ouch!

My experience of venture capital is that everyone below the capitalists gets their arse kicked.
It’s like most big fast growing business on the planet.

Meh, “former employees didnt like the company/boss they used to work for” next.

Nothing in the letter says anything other than the company is extremely ambitious and profit driven, just like 99% of all other businesses, thats kinda the point of business.

punk squirrel IPA pic.twitter.com/pztt7SNZCM

— alistair green (@mralistairgreen) April 7, 2021

BrewDog – we’re sorry, but you don’t get to spend fourteen years exploiting social media’s lack of interest in nuance or truth, and then shit the bed when it comes back around on you.

Ooooft.

grantyboy
Free Member

It also common to hear that their brewers are or have left to join rival breweries here in the north east. Another recurring story is one of the founders is ok, the other a narcissistic douche bag

It’s always kind of a revolving door for brewers… Even the best employers expect to lose skilled staff either to a larger stronger competitor, a smaller more interesting competitor, or to the endless draw of setting up on your own. So that’s kind of par for the course.

But the other, yep, totally.

My experience of venture capital is that everyone below the capitalists gets their arse kicked.

+1. Our new umbrella company is owned by a VC… The way it was described to me is thats there’s a monthly payment to be paid to the VC via revenues. If it can’t be paid, they start selling off…

I know Private Eye have covered concerns about profligate spending on personal expenses by the founder(s).

And…

They’ve also been through 3 CFO’s in 3 years

fits with that.

Brewdog just seems like hipster, man-bun shit to me. I went in when they first opened in Aberdeen and the beer I had tasted like curry.

The beer isn’t that nice either. Had some Lost Lager last summer and it was totally insipid.

+1 for the beer being sub par and ambitiously priced.

At least now I’ve more motivation for continuing to avoid giving them my custom.

i dont know much about their internal policies, but they do commit crime everytime they release a new drink.

Utter pond water.

Rank.

Only tried punk ipa and that was over carbonated tasteless shite, I stick with anything Vocation Brewery ftw

I quite like the beer and the bar they’ve opened in Perth has added a bit of quality amongst the Wetherspoon esque establishments. James does sound like a weapons grade bell end though.

The only employee I know had beer delivered free, at home, whist furloughed

Had some Lost Lager last summer and it was totally insipid.

Lost Lager is awful stuff. Brewdog have made some great beers over the years though, and still have plenty of good ones. Some of the bars are great places as well. Other options are available…

@ Kelvin.

I’m having a s*** day at work and that punk squirrel ipa vid has just cheered me right up.

and yeah, f*** brewdog.

The can label is inspired.

There seems to be a disconnect between the image and the reality.

What is the image? The Blink182 of beer?

Meh, “former employees didnt like the company/boss they used to work for”

I’d be pretty gutted if I ran a firm and that many former employees put their name to a letter like that. Brewdog always seemed like posturing ****s to me TBH, acting ‘edgy’ and trolling to get media traction, being ‘rebels’ but available in all major supermarkets.

I find the beer alright though, but there is much better available.

Meh, “former employees didnt like the company/boss they used to work for” next.

Nothing in the letter says anything other than the company is extremely ambitious and profit driven, just like 99% of all other businesses, thats kinda the point of business.

Knowing one of those signatories personally I can assure you it’s not just a case of disgruntled former employees getting wide. Whether or not an employer is ambitious and profit driven they still have a duty of care to employees and especially should not shrug off sexual assault as “part of the job” (bar worker).

This tallies with what I’ve heard from people within the industry.
To be honest, most craft breweries don’t seem to be great places to work.

I’d be pretty gutted if I ran a firm and that many former employees put their name to a letter like that

Yep but the letter doesn’t really say anything of any substance other than ” i didnt like working there (and niether did these other people)” and “the owners using private jets”, so what!

Meh, “former employees didnt like the company/boss they used to work for” next.

Nothing in the letter says anything other than the company is extremely ambitious and profit driven, just like 99% of all other businesses, thats kinda the point of business.

The difference being with Brewdog is that they try to portray themselves as a great place to work with a great culture when clearly the reality is somewhat different.

I feel sorry for the staff if they been in that sort of culture, it’s shockingly common even these days, there’s no excuse for it, having said that…

the other a narcissistic douche bag

Lots of “driven” people are like this. The trick is keeping them focused on the business rather than let them get anywhere near other humans

Meh, “former employees didnt like the company/boss they used to work for” next.

This sort of crap can get in the sea.,

Wow. That didn’t take long.

https://mobile.twitter.com/FairHospitality/status/1402918707043749888?s=1005

Yep but the letter doesn’t really say anything of any substance other than ” i didnt like working there (and niether did these other people)”

You’re missing the point. The accusations are out there and well known to those paying attention. But that aside, how many employers have open letters published against them regarding a toxic culture? Precious few I’d imagine. So ask yourself, why is this important enough to warrant it?

BrewDogJames
18h
Hey Everyone,

Just to let you know. We saw the Punkspurpose tweet and we will post a full response soon. On our growth journey we have not always got things right and we are happy to admit when that is the case.

However, we have always had a high performance culture, we have always moved at speed and we have always focussed on growth.

It is fair to say that this type of fast paced and intense environment is definitely not for everyone, but many of our fantastic long term team members have thrived in our culture. Our culture is built on rewarding and developing great people and focussing on growing our business .

We will a share a full update soon.

James

First reply on Forum…

I’ll take gaslighting for $100

Quite a few on the forum are calling for James to go…

Eurgh, that “current crew” response letter is cringeworthy. The please respond with a “YES” by 10.30am just smacks of otherwise you name will be on a “list”

That fact that they (the management) call themselves Mission Control speaks volumes TBH

Wow. That didn’t take long.

https://mobile.twitter.com/FairHospitality/status/1402918707043749888?s=1005

Urgh that is truly horrible. Imagine responding to this by pretending to be listening in your public statement, then sneakily putting together a made-up organic response ‘from the crew’ which also involves a loyalty test to weed out existing trouble-makers. Also, going on about how you must be good employers because you have ‘pawternity’ leave. 🤢 Never mind the Elvis quotes. 🙁

You’re missing the point. The accusations are out there and well known to those paying attention. But that aside, how many employers have open letters published against them regarding a toxic culture? Precious few I’d imagine. So ask yourself, why is this important enough to warrant it?

MAybe it is , maybe it isn’t. What i dont like is the “trial be social media” that goes on today. Accusations, and lets be clear thats all it is without any evidence, are made openly via some media platform and suddenly someone or some business` reputation is tarnished for ever. If they have done anything wrong then why isn’t it investigated properly or legal proceedings brought in private until the truth is out. Then and only then should it be publicly broadcast.

Never tried their brew.

Make your mind up, first you were arguing that they’re just pissed off employees who couldn’t hack the pace, now your claiming that they’ll tarnish the founders reputation forever…Those things can’t both be right, can they?

why isn’t it investigated properly or legal proceedings brought in private until the truth is out

And how do you propose they do that? Who would pay?

Never tried their brew.

Piss in a glass, leave it out in the sun for a few weeks before chilling it in the fridge.

There’s a first page to that message in the tweet also where it says the whistleblower message is demeaning to current staff and also a threat to their livelihoods which might result in job losses. So that’s definitely not threatening people to sign up to the rebuttal statement…. 🤔

Never tried their stuff – I’m strictly a Stella/ Peroni man I’m afraid, but presumably they tried to position themselves as a brand of the people type of thing and that’s why this has caused a bit of a fuss. Isn’t this just the disconnect between marketing and reality…and you’d have to be a bit daft to believe all the marketing you see.

I can’t believe nobody has called out that latest Innocent ad about saving the earth when they are owned by coke (or certainly were)

I can’t believe nobody has called out that latest Innocent ad about saving the earth when they are owned by coke (or certainly were)

Yes they have.