Employees at the Guinness canning site in Belfast last week voted for industrial action amid disputes on pay, with walkouts expected to take place between Friday 5 and Saturday 13 December.
With around 90 team members thought to be taking part in the industrial action, the news sparked fears of festive shortages similar to last year, when a rise in consumer demand caused supply issues.
Contingency plans
However, Diageo, which distributes Guinness across the UK, told The Morning Advertiser (The MA) it was selling more Guinness and Guinness 0.0 than ever before and has contingency plans in place to avoid disruption.
“While we are disappointed by the outcome of the ballot for industrial action at our can packaging site in Belfast, we strongly believe continued engagement is the best way of securing a resolution that recognises employees for their valued contribution, while ensuring the long-term competitiveness of the site”, the spokesperson continued.
The brand’s non-alcoholic stout, Guinness 0.0, in particular has seen sales soar in the past year.
Rising to the top of the low & no table on the 2026 Drinks List, volume sales per hectolitre of the brew rocketed by 127.2% in the year to October 2025, while value sales jumped 137%, worth £74.4m.
Limited-edition
In other Guinness news, Diageo recently confirmed the Open Gate Brewery in Covent Garden will open next week (Thursday 11 December).
The 54,000sq ft venue is on the site of the Old Brewer’s Yard in The Yards and includes a microbrewing facility with limited-edition brews and offers tour experiences.
Meanwhile, the latest Guinness trend on social media divided opinions between operators and customers last week.
Coined ‘Guinness 60/40′, the trend involves filling a pint glass with 60% Guinness 0.0 and topping with 40% standard Guinness, still honouring the traditional two-stage pour. It is thought to reduce the ABV of a pint of Guinness from 4.2% to 1.7%.
