Surging sales have led to the brewing giant rationing supply in a bid to ensure there is still stock over the festive period up to the new year, but the Spoons boss has a stern word on the matter
Wetherspoon chief Sir Tim Martin has urged Guinness owners Diageo to “get brewing” in the midst of a festive stout shortage. The budget pub mogul said he planned to have a “stern word” with the makers of the beloved Irish beverage after supply chain issues led to a drought across pubs in the UK in the run up to Christmas.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Martin said: “I’m going to be having a stern word with them and say: ‘What’s happened to your crystal ball?’ I think someone at Guinness has made a mistake … since we’ve worked with them for so long, we intend to forgive them.”
Surging sales have led the brewing giant to ration supply in a bid to ensure there is still stock over the festive period up to the new year. Guinness has enjoyed a remarkable surge in popularity in recent years, with sales up by around a fifth compared to the previous year.
Up and down the country, punters have been met with the disheartening cup over the Black Stuff tap, leading some boozers with supply to actively speak out and let their clients know.
The Prince Arthur in Hackney, east London, told regulars it has the “luck of the toucan on our side” and has “managed to secure a small number of kegs to keep us ticking over”.
“Please bear with us over the next couple of weeks while we try to up our stores,” it added.
In many cases, pubs have been opting to take a break from supplying the drink altogether and supply alternatives. Many have turned to the likes Murphy’s as an solution. This is the approach taken by The Faltering Fullback, in Finsbury Park in North London, which told punters: “Instead of purchasing at elevated prices, we have been considering alternative options to maintain our pricing.” It encouraged people to come and, “give them all a try.”
A spokesperson for the company said: “Over the past month we have seen exceptional consumer demand for Guinness in GB. We have maximised supply and we are working proactively with our customers to manage the distribution to trade as efficiently as possible.”
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