BrewDog co-founder Martin Dickie leaves craft beer giant

Andy Taylor/ True NorthMartin Dickie lately launched his personal medicinal hashish businessBrewdog co-founder Martin Dickie has left the Scottish craft beer big, saying that he took the choice for private causes.Dickie, who based the Ellon-based agency with James Watt in 2007, lately launched his personal medicinal hashish enterprise.Final yr Mr Watt stepped down from his position as CEO of the corporate and mentioned he would transfer to a newly-created place of “captain and co-founder”.Brewdog introduced final month that it was closing 10 bars throughout the UK, together with its flagship pub in Aberdeen, because of what it described as “ongoing trade challenges”.A spokesperson mentioned these challenges included rising prices, elevated regulation, and financial pressures.Getty ImagesJames Watt stood down as Brewdog CEO final yearBrewdog CEO James Taylor described Mr Dickie’s contributions to the corporate as “immeasurable”. He added: “His creativity, ardour, and relentless drive have formed our firm through the years and impressed numerous others within the trade.”In recent times Mr Dickie had helped oversee Brewdog’s growth into the spirits and cocktail market.He mentioned his resolution to go away, which won’t end in any modifications to the corporate’s management workforce, had been a tough one.”After over twenty years within the brewing and distilling enviornment sadly for private causes it is time for me to go away the trade that I really like deeply and hopefully had a optimistic impression in,” he mentioned.”Leaving Brewdog is not simple, however I am able to spend much less time travelling and spend some extra time at house with my younger household.”Getty ImagesMartin Dickie (left) and James Watt pictured packing BrewDog hand sanitizer throughout the Covid pandemic in April 2020The firm is understood for its craft beers and IPAs and has breweries and pubs throughout the globe, together with 71 within the the UK, of which 17 are in Scotland.It additionally has bars in Dubai, the US and Australia.In 2021 former employees used an open letter to spotlight what they mentioned was a “tradition of worry” inside the enterprise and “poisonous attitudes” to junior employees.The next yr a number of ex-Brewdog employees accused founder and former CEO Watt of inappropriate behaviour in a BBC Disclosure investigation.Attorneys for Mr Watt mentioned the allegations had been false – however Ofcom rejected complaints that Brewdog and Watt had been unfairly handled by the programme.In January final yr the agency additionally confronted a backlash after revealing it could now not rent new employees on the actual residing wage, as a substitute paying the decrease authorized minimal wage.Mr Watt stood down as CEO final yr and moved to the newly-created place of “captain and co-founder” however retained his shares within the firm.Martin Dickie can also be retaining his shares within the firm.Final month, it emerged his start-up, Waterside Prescription drugs, is about to reap its first full crop at its facility in Aberdeenshire.The corporate final yr secured a Managed Medicine Licence from the House Workplace to domesticate hashish starter materials for medication manufacturing.As much as 60,000 sufferers a month within the UK are presently estimated to be prescribed medical hashish, following legislative modifications in 2018.Mr Dickie instructed Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce his purpose was to turn out to be the UK market chief.He added the corporate was “on a mission to offer secure, efficacious and cost-effective medication that may assist hundreds of individuals”.