Andy Taylor/ True North
Martin Dickie recently launched his own medicinal cannabis business
Brewdog co-founder Martin Dickie has left the Scottish craft beer giant, saying that he took the decision for personal reasons.
Dickie, who founded the Ellon-based firm with James Watt in 2007, recently launched his own medicinal cannabis business.
Last year Mr Watt stepped down from his role as CEO of the company and said he would move to a newly-created position of “captain and co-founder”.
Brewdog announced last month that it was closing 10 bars across the UK, including its flagship pub in Aberdeen, due to what it described as “ongoing industry challenges”.
A spokesperson said these challenges included rising costs, increased regulation, and economic pressures.
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James Watt stood down as Brewdog CEO last year
Brewdog CEO James Taylor described Mr Dickie’s contributions to the company as “immeasurable”.
He added: “His creativity, passion, and relentless drive have shaped our company over the years and inspired countless others in the industry.”
In recent years Mr Dickie had helped oversee Brewdog’s expansion into the spirits and cocktail market.
He said his decision to leave, which will not result in any changes to the company’s leadership team, had been a difficult one.
“After over two decades in the brewing and distilling arena sadly for personal reasons it’s time for me to leave the industry that I love deeply and hopefully had a positive impact in,” he said.
“Leaving Brewdog isn’t easy, but I’m ready to spend less time travelling and spend some more time at home with my young family.”
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Martin Dickie (left) and James Watt pictured packing BrewDog hand sanitizer during the Covid pandemic in April 2020
The company is known for its craft beers and IPAs and has breweries and pubs across the globe, including 71 in the the UK, of which 17 are in Scotland.
It also has bars in Dubai, the US and Australia.
In 2021 former workers used an open letter to highlight what they said was a “culture of fear” within the business and “toxic attitudes” to junior staff.
The following year several ex-Brewdog staff accused founder and former CEO Watt of inappropriate behaviour in a BBC Disclosure investigation.
Lawyers for Mr Watt said the allegations were false – but Ofcom rejected complaints that Brewdog and Watt were unfairly treated by the programme.
In January last year the firm also faced a backlash after revealing it would no longer hire new staff on the real living wage, instead paying the lower legal minimum wage.
Mr Watt stood down as CEO last year and moved to the newly-created position of “captain and co-founder” but retained his shares in the company.
Martin Dickie is also retaining his shares in the company.
Last month, it emerged his start-up, Waterside Pharmaceuticals, is about to harvest its first full crop at its facility in Aberdeenshire.
The company last year secured a Controlled Drugs Licence from the Home Office to cultivate cannabis starter material for medicine production.
Up to 60,000 patients a month in the UK are currently estimated to be prescribed medical cannabis, following legislative changes in 2018.
Mr Dickie told Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce his aim was to become the UK market leader.
He added the company was “on a mission to provide safe, efficacious and cost-effective medicine that can help thousands of people”.