Brewdog pulls into Waterloo as pubs build steam

BREWDOG today fired up the revival of London’s hospitality sector with plans to develop the former Eurostar terminal at Waterloo into a huge pub, brewery and bowling complex.

The 26,500sq ft venue will become a global flagship for Britain’s biggest craft brewer complete with a pop-up food truck, cocktail bar, bowling alley and slide to get between its two storeys.

Founder James Watt said: “London’s beer scene is the rival of any in the world, and our supersized plans for BrewDog Waterloo at the epicentre of the UK’s busiest railway station are a testament to that.

“This is quite simply one of the biggest things we have ever announced.”

His firm has hit the headlines for less positive reasons in recent months.

In June, Watt apologised and pledged that his team will “listen, learn and act” after more than 100 current and former employees complained of a “culture of fear” in the workplace.

Last week the UK’s advertising watchdog found a BrewDog promotion around “solid gold” cans to be misleading. The company has also delayed its planned IPO.

BrewDog launched in 2007 and is estimated to be worth around £2 billion. It is private equity-backed and has repeatedly raised cash through crowdfunding rounds.

The update came as competitors also announced expansions, even as London’s hospitality sector faces threats to its recovery from supply chain snarl-ups and labour shortages.

Nightcap, founded by former Dragons’ Den star Sarah Willingham, said three new London Cocktail Club sites will open next month to catch the Christmas rush.

Willingham said: “We continue to see strong trading across the group.”

And The Big Table Group, operator of Las Iguanas, Bella Italia and Café Rouge, has also announced its intention to open 50 new restaurants and refurbish 70 sites over the next three years.

It said it will invest more than £50 million and create 1,250 new jobs, taking the estate to 200 restaurants across the UK.