BrewDog creates 130 new jobs with £1.5M grant

The grant – in the form of Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) – will take the total investment in the firm to more than £20M, boosting jobs at Ellon from 370 to 500.

Founded eight years ago by James Watt and Martin Dickie, the business has grown rapidly, partly due to crowd funding initiatives. The London Stock Exchange today (March 9) named BrewDog as one of the 1,000 most inspiring companies in the UK.

1,000 most inspiring companies​

It was also appeared on The Sunday Times​ Fast Track 100 list as the UK’s fastest growing food and drink company.  

BrewDog was a remarkable Scottish success story, said deputy first minister John Swinney during a visit to its Ellon facility.

“With a presence across the globe it is only right that this young company should receive so many accolades, including today’s London Stock Exchange Group’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Britain 2015,”​ said Swinney.

The minister praised companies such as BrewDog which were taking advantage of market conditions to expand and create high quality products with international appeal. He also highlighted the company’s commitment to pay its employees the living wage.

BrewDog co-founder Watt said the business was on a mission to make other people as passionate about craft beer as it was.

‘Our people are pivotal’​

“And our people are pivotal in achieving this,”​ he said. “One of our proudest moments in 2014 was announcing that BrewDog is a living wage employer – everyone on our team, from the incredible brewing and production crew to the passionate bar staff, are critical to the growth and success of BrewDog and the craft beer industry.”​ 

Head of RSA and Scottish Enterprise Allan McCabe said ambitious business leaders with a global mindset were vital for the continued growth of the food and drink sector in Scotland.

Ceo of the London Stock Exchange Group Xavier Rolet said the 1,000 companies list underlined the key contribution of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to the UK economy. “There are more than 4M in Britain and their success is inextricably linked to the success of the economy,”​ said Rolet.

“Our landmark ‘1000 Companies to Inspire Britain’ report profiles the most exciting and promising of these SMEs, which are of exceptional importance to economic growth and job creation. We need to ensure that the best start-ups have the environment and the support they need to scale up and make the transition from million-pound-starlets to billion-pound superstars.”​

Meanwhile, last month the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs named 50 Food stars​, including eight food and drink entrepreneurs from Scotland.

For the latest jobs in food and drink manufacturing, visit FoodManJobs​.