Innis And Gunn sale leaves emptied taprooms and more than 100 jobs lost — a brand rescued for £4.5m

On a rain-streaked street in Edinburgh an Innis & Gunn taproom that once hummed with conversations about new batches now sits dark and shuttered, its chalkboard menu wiped clean. The sudden stillness is the local face of a deal that saw innis and gunn’s brand and intellectual property bought for £4. 5m, while the brewery and three taprooms will close and staff face redundancy.

What happened to Innis And Gunn?

The Edinburgh-based craft brewer, described in recent accounts as loss-making, had its brand and global intellectual property acquired by C& C Group for £4. 5m. C& C Group, the Dublin-based owner of brands including Tennent’s and Magners, purchased the assets from the joint administrators. The purchase covered the Innis & Gunn brand rather than the company’s brewing site or taprooms.

Joint administrators FTI Consulting said the business was no longer able to trade because of rising costs and a decline in consumer spending, and that redundancies would have to be made following the sale. The company’s most recent accounts described a year of “continued progress” despite a persistently difficult trading environment: turnover moved from nearly £24. 1m to £23. 6m, and operating losses narrowed from almost £1. 6m to £747, 000.

How many jobs and venues are affected?

The acquisition will lead to the closure of the Perth brewhouse and all three taprooms in Glasgow and Edinburgh. More than 100 roles will be lost as a result, with the joint administrators noting that the vast majority of staff were employed at the brewery in Perth and the three taprooms. The administrators expressed deep regret that redundancies would be necessary as part of the sale process.

Dougal Gunn Sharp, the founder of the brewery, called the process “bruising” and said he was “deeply sorry to everyone affected – particularly my colleagues who have lost their jobs and the shareholders who believed in what we were building. ” He said he remained proud of the brand and the community around it and hoped the next chapter would allow the business to fulfil its potential.

What will C& C Group do next with the brand?

C& C Group said it will integrate the Innis & Gunn brand into its existing operational, commercial and supply chain infrastructure. The company already brewed much of the brand’s product under prior arrangements and expects the transition to be completed quickly with minimal disruption to customers and distribution. Roger White, chief executive officer of C& C Group, said the group has worked with Innis & Gunn for many years and is “delighted to bring the brand fully into our portfolio, ” noting the acquisition broadens its branded drinks portfolio.

The sale covered only the brand and global intellectual property. Administrators noted it was unclear what returns, if any, small equity crowdfunding investors might see after the deal; the firm had previously raised millions through multiple equity crowdfunding campaigns.

FTI Consulting, acting as joint administrators, managed the disposal of the brand and communicated the reasons the company was unable to continue trading. Their role in the process was to seek a buyer for the assets and to wind down operations where necessary; the administrators said they regretted the impact on employees.

The move echoes a week of consolidation in the Scottish craft sector, where prominent names have been sold and brands shifted away from Scottish ownership. For the people whose wages came from kettles and taps in Perth, Edinburgh and Glasgow, the change is immediate: the doors are closed and livelihoods disrupted.

Back at the shuttered taproom, a chalk scrawl remains on a faded board — a list of beers, now a ledger of what was. The label that drew those patrons will survive within a larger group’s portfolio, but the smell of mash and the conversations it sparked belong to another chapter. As staff consider the next step, the brand’s new custodians will decide how quickly innis and gunn reappears on shelves and in glasses, and whether the community that grew around the brewery will recognize it when it does.