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BrewDog chiefs reveal plans for two new North-east bars as thousands attend AGM

by Dale Haslam
09/04/2018, 8:50 am Updated: 09/04/2018, 4:00 pm
More than 8,000 people attended BrewDog’s AGM at the AECC
More than 8,000 people attended BrewDog’s AGM at the AECC

BrewDog is set to open two new North-east bars as part of a major expansion, the firm’s bosses have announced.

The Ellon-based beer company’s annual general meeting took place at the AECC on Saturday where founders James Watt and Martin Dickie announced they would open a new bar in Peterhead – where they both grew up – and another branch on the site of the former Mitchells tearoom on Market Place, Inverurie.

Founders James Watt and Martin Dickie speaking at the Brewdog AGM at the AECC.

The firm is keeping tight-lipped about the Peterhead location and timescale for both projects.

Explaining why the locations have been chosen, a BrewDog spokesman said: “Peterhead is where James and Martin grew up from the ages of nine to 17.

“Coincidentally, Mitchells was the first customer to buy bottles of BrewDog when James and Martin started in Fraserburgh over 10 years ago.”

Mitchells tearoom closed in Inverurie last October after the owners said the trading environment in recent years had been challenging.

It was frequented by generations of schoolchildren at lunchtimes and was famous for its oatcakes, baked from the original recipe first used by great-granny Mitchell.

More than 8,000 BrewDog shareholders attended Saturday’s AGM and, as well as listening to speeches from the company’s leaders, enjoyed live music performances from bands such as Maximo Park and Twin Atlantic.

The company announced it plans to open three more Scottish bars, at Edinburgh Airport and in St Andrew’s and Glasgow.

Elsewhere in the UK, there will be new bars in Manchester and three more in London – in Brixton, Essex Road and Tower Hill.

Internationally, bars are planned for Seoul in South Korea, Paris in France, Reykjavik in Iceland, Norrkoping in Sweden and at Spain’s Barcelona Airport.

There will also be two new bars in Ohio, USA.

The BrewDog spokesman added: “There is a further extension planned for the Ellon brewery and BrewDog has announced it is moving into cider production with an investment in Hawkes Cider. We also have plans to open a beer museum in Columbus, Ohio, though there is no date for the opening yet.”