UK: BrewDog founder admits buying Heineken shares despite publicly slating the Dutch giant

BrewDog co-founder James Watt has admitted he ploughed £500,000 into rivals Heineken - despite publicly slating the Dutch giant, The Scottish Sun reported on January 25.

The self-styled punk boss fostered an anti-corporate reputation as he built his business by slamming “bland industrial beers” made by huge booze companies.

James and business partner Martin Dickie filmed themselves blowing up bottles of Heineken.

And when the company bought into other craft firms, including Lagunitas and Beavertown, they booted the beers out of BrewDog bars.

But behind the scenes, James was secretly trying to persuade them to set up a distribution deal with his craft brewery, based in Ellon, Aberdeenshire.

He snapped up at least half a million pounds worth of shares in what he claims was a goodwill gesture before selling them soon afterwards.

James, 33, confessed: “Would I do it again? Probably not.”

The 2017 transaction was exposed in explosive BBC documentary The Truth About BrewDog.

26 January, 2022