BrewDog Founders Forgo Their Salaries Amid Global Pandemic

“As well as surviving and protecting jobs we also want to do as much good as we can and help our team, our community and our country get through this.”    James Watt, BrewDog

And this is just the beginning of the steps the Scottish brewery is taking to keep its business afloat in these difficult times…

In a March 31 tweet  Watt let it be known that “In order to protect as many jobs at BrewDog as we can” he and his co-founder, Martin Dickie would be waiving their salaries for 2020. He added that that chief operating officer Dave McDowall also volunteered to take a 50% cut.

.“The reality is our business, and the vast majority of businesses, now face a fight to be able to survive and make it through this crisis. But we have not started sleeping the brewery (yet).”

This from Watt…

“What an incredibly tough time this is. Tough for individuals, tough for families, tough for our country and tough for businesses. Our thoughts are with everyone and their loved ones at this time.”

At BrewDog we have 2 overarching priorities:

1) Make sure we survive as a business.

2) Protect as many jobs as we can.

“Both of these objectives are extremely difficult as we have lost 70% of our revenue almost overnight.” 

And here are some other things that BrewDog is doing in the face of this fearsome pandemic….

Hand Sanitizer

BrewDog is working 24/7 to produce and distribute as much had sanitizer as they can and are donating it to NHS workers, key front line workers and to charities. And so far the Aberdeen, Scotland-headquartered company has donated over 100,000 bottles to many in need.

BrewDog Online Bar

To keep spirits up and stay connected with its fans, BrewDog has launched an online bar where they host pub quizzes, beer tastings, beer and food pairings, teach beer schools, and live cooking demonstrations.

BrewDog AGM Goes Digital

In light of the UK’s necessary national shutdown, BrewDog is taking its annual gathering of punk shareholders #PunkAGM digital on April 25^th. Its uber-fun beer meets business and music event will make a terrestrial landing later this year at a time yet to be determined.

“As well as surviving and protecting jobs we also want to do as much good as we can and help our team, our community and our country get through this, Watt emphasized. “It is not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.”