BrewDog co-founder James Watt popped up on LinkedIn last week to announce that the story of the craft beer firm is to be turned into a film.
Underdogs: The Rise of BrewDog will chronicle what Watt calls the ‘high highs, low lows, failures, successes’ and controversies that befell him and co-founder Martin Dickie as they turned the Scottish brewer into a global giant.
Whispers wonders whether Watt, who helped write the script, would prefer some of the more unsavoury elements of BrewDog’s history to be left out.
Underdogs: The Rise of BrewDog will chronicle the ‘high highs, low lows, failures, successes’ and controversies’ of the brewer
In 2021, Watt apologised to staff after ex-workers accused him of presiding over a culture of fear at the business.
Former staff later appeared in a BBC documentary to accuse him of inappropriate behaviour and abuse of power. Watt denies the allegations.
But who might play Watt? Suggestions so far include hardman Jason Statham… and Victor Meldrew actor Richard Wilson.
Economics not an exact science on interest rates
Interest rate analysts have had a busy few weeks updating their forecasts after UK inflation unexpectedly dropped to a two-year low of 3.9 per cent in November.
Capital Economics last week predicted the Bank of England would make its first interest rate cut in July – four months earlier than a previous estimate.
But despite its big shift, Capital is still too cautious for the market, with most predicting the Bank will get its scissors out as soon as May.
As they say, economics is not an exact science.
Climate changes weighs heavily on Hollywood Bowl
Climate change is a major issue often brought up at annual meetings of fossil fuel giants such as BP and Shell.
But it is also weighing heavily on the mind of Hollywood Bowl. Its latest annual report says warmer weather could result in ‘reduced footfall’ as punters opt to sunbathe rather than hit the lanes.
Even the firm’s pay committee has green issues in mind. It is linking 10 per cent of the bonus for its boss and other executives to ‘the percentage of waste sent to recycling’.
It means the ability to sort rubbish into different bins was afforded the same importance as customer satisfaction scores, which as a hospitality group you would think would be a little more important in keeping profits flowing.
Iconic bootmaker Dr Martens limping
Iconic bootmaker Dr Martens is entering 2024 with a bit of a limp. The shares took a battering last year following four profit warnings as weak US sales and unseasonably warm weather weighed on its revenues.
The City’s sharks can smell blood. The amount of short interest in the stock recently hit an all-time high.
About 2 per cent of shares are now held by hedge funds, with Marshall Wace owning the biggest bet against the group. It also holds a large short against energy group Petrofac, which last year saw its stock tumble. Dr Martens should tread very carefully.
Contributor: Emily Hawkins
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