News that Guinness owner Diageo was limiting orders from pubs in Great Britian following ‘exceptional’ demand has sparked concerns that bars might run out of the black stuff this Christmas.
A staple in pubs on both sides of the Irish Sea, the famous drink is growing in popularity among both women and younger people.
But with the increase in demand, will pubs run out of the famous stout this Christmas?
More: £6.40 for a Guinness? Why Belfast pint prices are overtaking Dublin
Is there a Guinness shortage?
Owner Diageo has said that it has ‘maximised supply’ and it has also been reported that it is working at full capacity.
The issue isn’t that there is a shortage of Guinness, but rather existing supply is being ‘managed’ in order to meet increased demand.
This is likely down to the fact that the festive period is a busy time for pubs and bars as well as Guinness’ rising popularity among different demographics.
Where could this impact?
At the moment, Diageo has said that this is an issue which is only impacting its customers in Great Britain.
“Over the past month we have seen exceptional consumer demand for Guinness in Great Britain,” a spokesperson said.
“We have maximised supply and we are working proactively with our customers to manage the distribution to trade as efficiently as possible.”
According to the BBC, Diageo is allocating keg supplies on a weekly basis to ensure there is enough stock over the festive period.
Will pubs in Ireland run out of Guinness this Christmas?
It’s unlikely that the current situation will cause pubs in Ireland to run out of Guinness this Christmas.
One pub owner in the north told The Irish News that his Christmas order was already in and that there has been ‘no indication’ of any problems.
“My understanding is that this issue is solely impacting pubs in Britain, so you’ll get your Guinness okay!”
