Unions have condemned the handling of hundreds of redundancies at BrewDog after staff were told they had lost their jobs during a 15-minute conference call.
Around 500 employees joined a teams call on Monday where Chief Executive James Taylor confirmed the company had been sold to Tilray, a US drinks and medical cannabis company.
Staff were given 25 minutes' notice before joining the call in which all cameras were switched off, including Mr Taylor's.
In exclusive audio obtained by the P&J, the boss of the Ellon-based brewery confirmed a “prepacked sale” had taken place with buyer Tilray Brands UK Ltd.
The £33million deal included the Ellon brewery, the DogTap bar and 10 profitable bars across the UK.
However, 38 bars not included in the sale closed immediately including Aberdeen's Castlegate, Union Square and Inverurie venues.
“The sale did not include all the bars. Unfortunately, the bars you guys work for are not included in that sale," Mr Taylor added.
Bryan Simpson, hospitality organiser with the Unite union, described the events as "morally repugnant" and said staff were "devastated".
Following the announcement of the sale, Tilray's Chairman and Chief Executive Irwin D. Simon set out ambitious plans for the company’s Aberdeenshire base.
Speaking after completing the deal in Ellon, he described the takeover as “a fresh start for the brand”.
“I can’t tell you how impressed I am with the facility, the team and of course they brew great beer,” he said. “Being with the employees I really feel good about the opportunity this brings to Tilray.”
Simon said the scale and untapped potential of the Ellon brewery was a key driver behind the acquisition.
The site currently produces around 800,000 hectolitres annually but has installed capacity of up to 2.4 million.
He said: “We have a job – we have to double the capacity here.
“This available capacity immediately enhances Tilray international operating footprint and allows us to efficiently expand distribution of our craft beer and beverage across key international markets, including introducing craft U.S. brands like Shock Top, Montauk and 10 Barrel.”
He said the acquisition of BrewDog is expected to generate £150m ($200m) of income for Tilray, between both brewery and pub operations.