The number of Guinness pubs in the UK able to place orders before Christmas has been restricted by Diageo due to a surge in demand in recent weeks, reports RTE.
Although Diageo is operating at full production capacity, they have still set limits on orders within Britain.
The supply of Guinness to bars in Ireland remains unaffected, reports RTE.
Shane Long, a publican with two pubs in London – The Hope in Fitzrovia and Uxbridge Arms in Notting Hill – mentioned that there were rumors of Diageo potentially limiting supply four weeks ago, and pubs in Britain received official notification last week.
“We will manage through this,” Mr. Long told Morning Ireland. “People are still going to go out, and there’s a lot more competition now than there was a few years ago, so I’m not as concerned as I might have been before,” reports RTE.
In recent years, Guinness has become increasingly popular in the UK, especially among younger consumers.
Mr. Long thinks that the increase in demand is also a result of the pandemic. “Post-Covid, people were searching for experiences they couldn’t recreate at home – one of those was draught stout, and the other was cocktails, leading to a rise in both categories,” reports RTE.
The recent rugby internationals in Britain have also increased pressure on supplies.
Overall, Guinness sales are currently countering market trends in the UK, according to data from CGA, a food and drinks industry research firm.
While beer consumption overall saw a slight decline from July to October, the amount of Guinness served from kegs rose by over 20%, reports RTE.
Although the non-alcoholic version, Guinness 0.0, is gaining traction in Ireland, it has yet to gain popularity in the UK, as noted by Mr. Long.
The scarcity of Guinness in Britain will not impact supply in Ireland.
A representative from Diageo Ireland stated, “As we enter the busy Christmas season, we will ensure all deliveries to our customers throughout the island of Ireland proceed as scheduled and without interruption,” reports RTE.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
