In Scotland, the closures will also affect its Dundee bar, while across the UK its Brighton, Leeds, Oxford, Sheffield, York, and three bars in London – Camden, Shepherd’s Bush and Shoreditch – will close.

In a message to staff, chief executive James Taylor, who took the helm less than five months ago, said that despite the company’s best efforts, the bars were not viable due to their “size, location and other limiting factors”. He described the move not just as a response to the difficult UK hospitality market, but as a “proactive decision to redefine the bar division’s focus”. The venues are scheduled to close this Saturday 26 July.

The company has not confirmed the number of jobs at risk but told The Guardian it has entered a “meaningful and appropriate consultation process” and expects to redeploy many affected team members across its network.

The move follows the release of BrewDog’s latest accounts for 2023, which showed pre-tax losses widening from £30m to £59.2m, despite revenue growing to £355m. The company attributed the increased losses to higher costs and write-downs on underperforming bars.

These closures come amidst severe pressure on the UK hospitality industry, which saw more than 400 pubs in England and Wales shut last year due to rising costs and economic strain.