Brewdog accused of ‘fire and rehire’ as five sites return under Tilray recovery
brewdog has been thrust back into controversy as former staff were invited to reapply for roles while the business emerges from administration under new owners. Tilray bought the brewery and 11 bars for £33m after administration that closed 38 pubs and left 484 staff redundant. An internal message from the company’s head of operations said Tilray Brands UK was “now working towards reopening a small number of additional bars, ” reigniting union anger and a looming legal challenge.
Why Brewdog’s move matters now
The timing matters because the workforce at affected sites faces an immediate choice between reapplying for posts or remaining outside the revived operation. Unite the union described the reapplication invitations as “a blatant attempt to strip workers of their rights, ” and signalled plans for legal action. The union’s position draws on the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006, which the union says protects staff when venues reopen in the same locations. That legal framework is central to how current redundancies and new hires are evaluated in the coming weeks.
What lies beneath the headline: causes, implications and ripple effects
The operational picture presented by the new owner is one of rapid asset acquisition followed by staged reopening. Tilray completed a £33m purchase of the brewery and 11 bars from administration; the initial transaction coincided with 38 pub closures and 484 redundancies. Company communication seen by staff said the buyer is “building new teams” as it works to restore a small number of additional bars, including sites at Merchant City, Glasgow, and Castlegate, Aberdeen. Separately, the buyer has added former sites in Bristol, Newcastle, Aberdeen, Glasgow and the Manchester Doghouse hotel back into the portfolio alongside the initial 11.
Operationally, the new owner has framed the immediate priority as stabilisation: engaging customers, reassuring suppliers about payment and ensuring team members are comfortable as venues restart. That strategy, however, collides with workers’ rights concerns. The union contends that sacking staff and then inviting them to reapply can reduce accrued protections and change terms of employment, an approach it describes as unlawful. For former employees, the rehire process may therefore be experienced as a competitive re-entry that risks altering pay, seniority and contractual protections.
Expert perspectives and regional implications
Bryan Simpson, Unite’s national lead on hospitality, said: “This is fire and rehire, plain and simple – and it is morally reprehensible and, in our view, unlawful. This is a blatant attempt to strip workers of their rights and force them to compete for work they should still be in. ” Simpson added that the union planned to take legal action and called on the new operators to halt the process and reinstate workers with full rights intact.
Steven Hill, head of operations, placed the reopening in operational terms: “We recognise that the last few weeks have been incredibly difficult and will have had a real impact on you and your colleagues, ” and emphasised that the buyer was “building new teams” as it worked towards reopening additional bars.
Irwin Simon, chief executive of Tilray, characterised the acquisition as rapid and brand-driven, stressing the need for stabilisation before broader change. He said the deal happened quickly and required time to digest, adding that the UK remained central to the brand’s future. He framed the revival as an opportunity to bring efficiencies and rebuild confidence among suppliers and customers as sites return to operation.
The regional footprint of reopenings — cited locations include Bristol, Newcastle, Aberdeen, Glasgow and the Manchester Doghouse hotel, alongside Merchant City and Castlegate — means impacts will be local as much as sectoral: jobs, supply chains and community-facing venues are all implicated in how the transition is managed. Uncertainties over employment terms and the prospect of legal challenge raise questions about how quickly venues can trade without protracted disputes.
With unions preparing legal steps and the new owner signalling both rapid acquisitive intent and a stabilisation-first strategy, the coming weeks will test whether operational recovery can proceed without eroding worker protections. How will brewdog’s workforce rights be preserved as the business attempts a restart?
