Drinkers are shunning ‘trendy and expensive’ craft beer chain BrewDog in favour of more traditional boozers like JD Wetherspoon, the Daily Mail has found.
The company’s range of draught beers have disappeared entirely from around 1,860 pubs in the last two years, according to private industry data.
The blow means BrewDog’s UK distribution has been cut by more than a third.
It also shows that its best-known beer, Punk IPA, has suffered the worst loss after being removed from 1,980 pubs – a 52 per cent decline in distribution.
Pubs are now reducing their offerings or opting for rival beers such as Camden Town and Beavertown instead.
The collapse in BrewDog’s UK distribution comes after a difficult period that saw the once thriving craft beer chain post huge losses and battle accusations of a ‘toxic’ workplace culture.
Punters in some of London‘s busiest drinking hotspots told the Daily Mail they were put off by ‘trendy and expensive’ BrewDog pubs – and ‘soggy food’.
Louise Wagg, 61, who travelled down to Soho in London with her family from Nottingham, said: ‘We saw BrewDog and honestly we thought it was more of a trendy and expensive sort of place that the family couldn’t go to.
‘We chose Spoons. There are five of us and it’s cheap for us all to eat and drink.’ she added.
The embattled brewer (Seven Dials branch pictured) has seen its draught beers axed by 1,860 pubs across Britain over the last two years as its popularity continues to wane
Some pubgoers who spoke to the Daily Mail yesterday opted for The Montagu Pyke, a JD Wetherspoon near BrewDog’s Seven Dials branch
Louise Wagg (centre) said ‘we chose Wetherspoons because we’re out in London, there are five of us and it’s cheap for us all to eat and drink’
Charlene Halsey (right) said she ‘loves’ the taste of BrewDog’s IPA, but bad experiences in its Waterloo train station branch have seen her avoid it in recent times
BrewDog beers will still be sold JD Wetherspoon.
Charlene Hasley, 39, from Epsom, is a fan of BrewDog’s beer but opts to drink it in Spoons instead, where it is much cheaper.
A pint of Punk IPA will set customers back £7.10 in the BrewDog’s flagship pub in Waterloo, while the same drink costs just £6.63 in JD Wetherspoon, a difference of 47p.
She said: ‘We’ve been to the BrewDog here loads of times before but during the day there doesn’t seem to be much of a vibe at all.
‘It’s better in the evenings and on the weekends, but daytime seems to be really lacking.
‘The Wetherspoons here is always quite busy. You know what you’re going to get and the food is generally good all day and night.
‘We had quite a bad meal the last time we went to BrewDog so we avoided it today. The tacos, fries and macaroni and cheese we ordered were just soggy and horrible, and the service wasn’t very good.
‘I have no complaints about the service in this Wetherspoons. We travel here a couple of times a week so we’re frequently here and tend to always pick it over BrewDog now. Price is definitely a factor too as BrewDog doesn’t tend to have as many offers.
‘I love an IPA so I love BrewDog’s beer but everything else outweighs that. I wouldn’t pick going to BrewDog just for that reason.’
Daytrippers Gemma Rowley (left) and Michael Rowley (right) from Newport on the Isle of Wight, told the Daily Mail that they had never heard of BrewDog while just minutes away from one of their branches
Gemma Rowley, 41, and Michael Rowley, 45, from the Isle of Wight, say they had never heard of BrewDog while outside The Montagu Pyke, a Spoons in Soho.
Ms Rowley said: ‘Wetherspoons is the only chain pub on the island that seems to have lasted.’
Her husband added: ‘I don’t drink beer so I don’t think BrewDog would be for me.’
Wayne Holbourne, 51, from Skegness, said he enjoys drinking BrewDog’s beer but took his family to JD Wetherspoons just minutes away from the craft brewer’s Seven Dials chain.
He said: ‘I can’t say I’ve been to a BrewDog pub but I do drink them at home. If I’m out I’d grab them at the weekend but I’m not too fussed.
‘I’m with my daughter today, who has ADHD, and she likes Wetherspoons. She likes the food and the fact they don’t play music definitely helps for her.
‘But if we pass somewhere and see a BrewDog, I’d go for a drink. I’m not too fussed.’
Despite BrewDog’s dramatic drop in UK distribution, it won’t be disappearing from Spoons any time soon.
Wetherspoon confirmed to the Daily Mail that it has ‘no plans to change’ its BrewDog offering, currently serving Punk IPA on draught and various bottled beers.
Ms Halsey is one of many fans of BrewDog’s beer who are opting to drink it out of Wetherspoons (Soho branch pictured) who themselves stock the brewer’s Punk IPA across their 794 UK venues
But some fans have vowed to stick by BrewDog, including Sam, 30, from Swindon.
He told the Daily Mail: ‘I knew BrewDog would be pricier but I just paid it. Wetherspoons I think you pay for beer that is maybe not as fresh, whereas BrewDog’s is better.
‘In Swindon we don’t have a BrewDog so I wouldn’t seek it out, but when I travel elsewhere I pop in.’
Vicky, 41, who travelled down to London for a few days with her family, said: ‘It’s a tough one but I prefer BrewDog. I’d say it’s better for our kids as they prefer the food.
‘I go for both but for Wetherspoons I’d say it depends on which branch. Some of them look nicer than others whereas I think BrewDog are all quite consistent.
‘I don’t mind paying extra at BrewDog plus they let kids eat free over the summer. My other half also loves BrewDog IPA which we buy at home.’
Founded less than 20 years ago as an alternative brand amid a boom in demand for independent craft beers, BrewDog enjoyed a swift rise to fortunes in the 2010s.
The chain confirmed last month that it is planning to open 30 new pubs over the next financial year, one day after Brewdog said it was shutting ten bars across the UK.
Wayne Holbourne, 51, from Skegness, said he enjoys drinking BrewDog’s beer but had taken his family straight into the Wetherspoons just minutes away from the craft brewer’s Seven Dials chain
Brewdog was co-founded in 2007 by James Watt, who married Georgia Toffolo earlier this year
Brewdog boss James Taylor told investors that its financials did not make for ‘happy reading’
Wetherspoon is run by Sir Tim Martin, Britain’s most famous and most outspoken pub landlord – known for his vehement support for Brexit and criticism of pandemic restrictions on pubs which have turned him into a divisive figure in recent years.
He has also criticised the financial impact of last October’s Budget, claiming hikes to national insurance and the minimum wage are costing his pubs £1,500 each a week.
While BrewDog co-founder James Watt is also critical of the current government and has faced his own controversies, he has had a very different rise to fame through the creation of his challenger ‘punk’ brand which soon exploded in popularity.
Sir Tim, meanwhile, has built up a huge empire since opening his first pub in London in 1979, focusing on affordable drinks and food which are far cheaper than most rivals.
The chain, known as ‘Spoons’, is now worth nearly £1billion on the stock market and is even considering expanding overseas to holiday destinations popular with Britons.
But while Wetherspoon continues to grow, Brewdog is struggling and chief executive James Taylor recently told investors its financials did not make for ‘happy reading‘, before telling the Daily Mail yesterday that he ‘could not be more excited about the future’.
The chain has weathered a number of publicity storms in recent years as its reputation has taken a hammering, while it has also faced stiff competition from craft beer rivals.
James Watt began dating Georgia Toffolo in 2023 before tying the knot in March 2025
James Watt (right) launched the brewery with Martin Dickie (left) amid a flurry of publicity stunts including a 41% ale called Sink the Bismarck!, claimed to be the world’s strongest beer
Mr Watt showed a knack for marketing and drove up the brand’s popularity with stunts such as driving a tank through London and brewing what it claimed was the world’s strongest beer.
He married Made In Chelsea media personality Georgia Toffolo earlier this year, and has become a frequent critic of the Labour Government on LinkedIn.
In May, it was revealed that the newlyweds are worth a staggering £425million, according to The Sunday Times, overtaking Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles and Lewis Hamilton.
However in recent years, the company’s fortunes have started to turn after it emerged staff had reported being unhappy working there.
Mr Watt’s tenure has been marred by controversy, with the firm accused by former workers in an open letter in 2021 of having a ‘culture of fear’ within the business, with ‘toxic attitudes’ towards junior staff.
He later admitted to being ‘too intense and demanding’ amid a workplace culture row where he was accused of inappropriate behaviour and abusing his power.
Speaking with Steven Bartlett on the Diary of a CEO podcast about his leadership at the company, he admitted to previously pushing people ‘too far’ because of his ‘high standards’.
But Mr Watt – whose company has been accused of having a ‘rotten culture’ – said that his actions were done with ‘100 per cent good intentions’.
BrewDog is now on its third CEO in just over a year after Mr Watt stepped back from the role in May 2024, three months after Ofcom rejected a complaint he had lodged against the BBC after it made a documentary outlining misconduct allegations.
There was also criticism over BrewDog selling a stake in the firm to US private equity firm TSG Consumer Partners in 2017, which made Mr Watt and Mr Dickie millionaires.
Pubs expert Dale Harvey, who has visited 5,000 pubs in three years as part of ‘The Great British Pub Crawl’, said the public accusations against Mr Watt in recent months have ‘played their part’ in BrewDog’s struggles.
He told the Daily Mail: ‘We now live in a society where any kind of toxic masculinity or behaviour will be highlighted rather than brushed under the carpet with public figures.’
Mr Harvey claimed this was ‘certainly changing the feeling towards BrewDog as a brand for many people’.
Turning his attention to Wetherspoon, he said: ‘People can say what they like about Tim Martin but he goes about his business in a very professional way.
‘Wetherspoons are noted for being great to work for, offer great training and great progression opportunities, whereas with BrewDog, that is certainly not the feeling, with many former staff having had reason to complain.
‘All of that certainly contributes to the reputation of a brand and to who wants to support it.’
Speaking about the beer, he added: ‘I think BrewDog were once the pioneers and the poster boys for ‘Craft Beer’ but these days, there are many independent breweries doing it better and of course the other brewers such as Beavertown, Camden and Brixton were all on the rise offering similar beer before they were all bought out by the big boys like Heineken and Budweiser.
‘So there are now multiple companies stocking these and I just think BrewDog’s brand has suffered too much for people to need to rely on them for that style now.’
Last month, BrewDog announced the closure of 10 of its own branded bars across the UK, including its flagship site in Aberdeen, after deciding they were not ‘commercially viable’.
And the chain had started the year by closing six pubs across the world, including two in England, three in Europe and one in England.
Lauren Caroll, BrewDog’s chief operating officer, said: ‘Independent brewers across the board have felt the squeeze from the economic pressures hitting the pub trade.
‘With costs rising and consumers watching their spend, pub groups have been narrowing their ranges, and brewery-owned pubs are putting more emphasis on their own brands.
‘It’s not just us – every independent brewer has been affected. We saw the trend coming, which is why we’ve shifted focus to high-impact channels like festivals, stadiums, and independent [pubs].’
BrewDog’s latest blow comes as a political storm continues to rumble over the Government’s lack of support for the pub trade.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been blamed for pushing restaurants and pubs into ‘survival mode’ as two venues have shut per day for the first half of 2025.
Data shows the number of hospitality sites plunged by 374 to 98,746 sites at the end of June, sparking fresh concerns about the fight for survival faced by many businesses.
It means that the sector is now 14.2 per cent smaller than at the start of Covid in March 2020, with more than 16,000 net closures over the past five years.
Researchers pointed to a cocktail of costs, including higher National Insurance contributions for employers, business rates and wages.
The worrying figures come just weeks after TV star and landlord Jeremy Clarkson told The Mail on Sunday that penalising business rates had left publicans ‘like Butch and Sundance at the end of the movie – taking fire from absolutely everywhere’.
