Stewart Brewing to give up Leith's Dockside Tap to new owner due to hospitality downturn

It was announced today (Mon) that the Edinburgh-based company were making efforts to move the tap room into someone else’s ownership once government guidance allows businesses to open again.

In a statement on their website Stewart Brewing said: “It is with great sadness that Stewart Brewing has taken the decision to withdraw from the Dockside Tap. Over the last three and a half years, the team at the Dockside Tap have put in a lot of hard work and effort to make this venture a success and at its heart, it is a fantastic little operation, with fresh beer being delivered directly to the people of Leith, but unfortunately, that has not translated commercially.

“Given the current climate around hospitality, social distancing, and the uncertainty around how retail operations will operate in the short-to-medium term future, it is simply not prudent for us to keep a loss-making operation part of the business.

“Our key priority is to save the majority of jobs in the whole company and safeguard the long-term financial security of the business. As such, we have to make efforts to move the Dockside Tap into someone else’s ownership, as soon as government guidance allows retail operations to start up again.

“We feel the Dockside Tap would make a fantastic small business for an owner-occupier, who is dedicated to craft beer and has the flexibility to run and operate at their own discretion, whilst minimising costs. We really hope to see the Dockside Tap reopen in some shape or form again in the future.

“This has been a very difficult decision to make and one that we know affects two of our hard-working team members, for this we are sorry.”