Guinness stocks 'run dry' as pubs use 'ration cards' to limit purchases
16 December 2024, 06:29
Pubs are reportedly running out of Guinness amid unprecedented demand ahead of Christmas.
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Many pubs say they are completely out of the beloved drink, as others warn their stocks will soon run dry.
It comes after reports pubs had been “panic buying” the black stuff in a bid to ensure they didn’t run out this Christmas.
One London pub owner said his establishment ran out of the pint on Saturday, as he desperately awaits a new delivery.
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“When you fancy a Guinness, you fancy a Guinness,” Phil Inzani, of Polo bar in central London, told the Times.
“It’s creating an awkward situation for us. We do have stocks of Guinness without alcohol but it’s not quite the same.”
Another pub, the Old Ivy House in Clerkenwell, told the publication they had ran out despite rationing Guinness for weeks.
Its landlord said: “I normally make sure I have seven barrels per week and I would up that in the run-up to Christmas. But I was restricted to only four [by our brewery].
“So on Wednesday, when I got my order, we only had half a barrel left in the cellar at the busiest time of the year. And we’d run out by 10pm on Friday night.”
Customers have been understanding though, she added, with drinkers recognising that Britain is facing a shortage of the black stuff.
Demand for Guinness has sky-rocketed in recent months, as the cold weather combines with so-called “Guinnfluencers” boosting the drink’s reputation on social media.
Sales of the foamy stout among women have increased by 24 per cent in 2024 alone, Debra Crew, Diageo’s chief executive, said.
A spokesman for Diageo, Guinness’ parent company, said: “Over the past month we have seen exceptional consumer demand for Guinness in Great Britain.
“We have maximised supply and we are working proactively with our customers to manage the distribution to trade as efficiently as possible.”
