Diageo boosts Guinness support ahead of critical winter trading
Diageo has unveiled a package of training, equipment upgrades and extra sales support to help pubs meet anticipated Guinness demand during the festive period. The plan includes staff training on pouring and glass hygiene, plus tailored stock guidance and Guinness 0.0 advice from expanded field teams. It also covers the distribution of 1 million new Guinness glasses to pubs across Great Britain, along with font upgrades and new point-of-sale materials. The brewer emphasises that winter is a key trading period and that Guinness plays an increasingly important part for operators. Diageo reported a 1.2 per cent rise in sales to £3.63 billion for the three months to 30 September 2026, with Guinness among its strongest performers. It opened its Littleconnell Brewery in Co. Kildare and plans to invest a further €400 million over the next three years to build a second Guinness-focused site there, aimed at more than doubling brewing capacity. Past supply challenges linked to surging demand have recurred, though Diageo says it is working with customers to manage distribution and replenish stock after the busy period; in the final 12 weeks of 2025, Guinness Draught value sales rose 25 per cent as 104 million pints were poured in the on-trade, while some operators reported sourcing difficulties in January 2026. Source: The Morning Advertiser
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