The business entered administration on Friday 6 March, when Christopher Jon Bennett, Oliver Stuart Wright and Samuel Alexander Ballinger were appointed joint administrators of Innis & Gunn Holdings Limited, The Innis & Gunn Brewing Company Limited, and Innis and Gunn Hospitality Group (Sco, NI and Irl) Limited.

The administrators cited a combination of declining consumer spending and rising cost pressures that had created severe margin and liquidity strain, making it impossible for the wider business to continue trading.

Founded in 2003 by Dougal Gunn Sharp – who developed his passion for brewing at his father’s Edinburgh brewery – Innis & Gunn had grown over more than two decades into one of Scotland’s most recognisable beer brands, with a strong foothold in both the on-trade and retail sectors. Its collapse marks a significant blow to the Scottish brewing industry.

Redundancies are expected across the workforce, though a small number of employees have been retained to support the orderly closure of the brewery and its taprooms. Sharp expressed deep regret at the outcome, describing it as “a very difficult day” for the team that had built the brand over 23 years, and apologising to colleagues who had lost their jobs and shareholders who had invested in the business.

C&C Group, which had been a minority shareholder and brewing partner for several years, said the acquisition presented a highly synergistic opportunity to bring a well-loved brand fully into its portfolio.

Chief executive Roger White said the group’s existing brewing and route-to-market infrastructure would allow for swift and effective integration, maintaining continuity of supply to customers. C&C expects the deal to make a small positive contribution to its financial performance in the 2027 financial year.

Mr Sharp said he remained proud of the brand and hoped its new chapter with C&C would allow Innis & Gunn to fulfil “the potential we always believed it had.”