BrewDog co-founder James Watt bids £30 mln to buy back UK assets from Tilray

Published Jul 15, 02:35 PM UTC

James Watt, the co-founder of BrewDog, has launched a bid to buy back the craft brewer's UK assets from Tilray Brands, a US cannabis producer that rescued the company from administration in March 2026. The offer, made through Watt's new venture Second Best, is valued at £30 million including planned investments. It includes BrewDog's flagship brewery and taproom in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, but excludes the US business. Watt promises to restore the ownership stakes of 'equity punk' retail investors who lost their investments when BrewDog collapsed. The company, once valued at £2 billion, had accumulated over £800 million in debt before its collapse, resulting in nearly 500 job losses and 38 venue closures. Tilray has received the bid but has not publicly responded. Watt previously attempted to rescue BrewDog before administration and recently announced plans for a new brewery called Second Best.