The new owner of Scottish brewer and bar operator BrewDog has reopened one of its venues as a pilot for a community-led model that could dictate the future of the British pub.
Following the sale of the business to Tilray Brands. in March, its Inverurie bar will be the first site to be reimagined as a ‘community-first’ venue that gives local residents and community groups a formal voice in how it is run.
Reopening the pub brings Tilray’s directly-operated Brewdog estate to 17.
The company will continue to own and operate the bar, while local residents and organisations, together with original Equity for Punks investors will form Commuity Champions to style it around their priorities.
US-based Tilray has introduced the initiative as it invests £50 million in the business after spending £33m rescuing it from the administrators.
Tilray recently introduced 24 of its craft beers, bringing a wider range of well-known US craft beer brands to BrewDog bars.
Lauren Carrol, who remained with BrewDog in the transaction and is now chief commercial officer, said: “Inverurie did something remarkable. The community came to us. They put together a proposal and showed us what this bar means to them, so we listened and put a plan in place to reopen.
“The people of Inverurie have always been a special part of our story, so it is only right that they now help shape what happens inside their local bar. This is the beginning of a model we hope to grow.”
The Community Champions model will initially operate on trial basis for up to a year from the reopening of BrewDog Inverurie, which the business says will allow the team to learn the right long-term balance between BrewDog-led operations and community-led engagement.
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