Guinness remains the dominant force in the category, supported by Diageo’s multibillion-pound marketing investment and a renewed following among younger drinkers.
The brand reached a 17.5% share of pints sold in pubs in 2025, with more than 2m poured daily, and saw heightened consumer visibility following the launch of the Open Gate Brewery in Covent Garden late last year and the brand’s new Harp Guide celebrating pubs acclaimed for quality stout.
Challenger brands
However, the rising popularity of stout is also opening the door to challenger brands. A wave of independents are now producing nitrogenated beers to meet demand for creamier, smoother dark styles.
Anspach & Hobday’s London Black has become a stand-out performer, now accounting for around 70% of the brewery’s production, with exports as far as China. Titanic Brewery’s True Stout has followed a similar trajectory, with the brewer removing Guinness from its own pubs to back its house alternative.
Producers say the strategy is not imitation but differentiation. “If you want a Guinness, have a Guinness,” said Jack Hobday, co-founder of Anspach & Hobday. “We’re not trying to replicate it. Our focus is on London heritage and a more complex flavour profile.”
The wider stout category is expanding quickly. According to SIBA, 80% of independent breweries now produce a stout or porter, and sales of craft stout more than doubled across its members last year.
Retailers have also taken notice, with Marks & Spencer launching a Nitro Stout through Siren Craft Brew. Larger brewers are investing as well, including Shepherd Neame’s Iron Wharf and the return of Murphy’s to UK bars through new distribution.
A shifting audience
Operators report stout’s audience has fundamentally shifted. As reported by The Morning Advertiser (The MA) on International Stout Day in November last year, stout has been one of the strongest performing styles within beer and cider, with younger drinkers driving much of the growth.
CGA NIQ data showed stout volumes rising 10.6% year on year in 2025, now accounting for 9.5% of all beer volumes. At the time, JDW founder Sir Tim Martin described stout demand as “firing on all cylinders”, noting its year round appeal.
The category’s rise has also been fuelled by Guinness 0.0, which now represents 14% of all beer brewed at St James’s Gate. Diageo plans to roll out the alcohol free variant on draught nationally once regulatory approvals are finalised.
Commercial consideration
Supply concerns have emerged periodically, with operators reporting restricted orders of Guinness and Guinness 0.0 after peak trading periods. However, Diageo has denied any ongoing shortages and said demand is simply outpacing typical seasonal patterns.
News that Guinness Draught will rise in price by 5.2% from April adds a further commercial consideration for operators managing stout range and cost pricing, following similar reports of increased demand and intermittent tightness in supply.
While Guinness’s scale remains unmatched, smaller brewers see an opportunity to broaden the category. Titanic managing director Keith Bott said the challenge is convincing drinkers to try an alternative. “It’s an opportunity to try something that pours like Guinness but has a completely different flavour profile,” he said.
For operators, the shift presents a clear commercial prompt. More pubs are widening their stout range, using a category leader alongside a local or challenger pour to increase rate of sale and create points of difference at the bar.
As one of the UK’s most enduring beer styles continues its resurgence, stout’s momentum appears far from seasonal. For now, both the global powerhouse and its emerging rivals are benefiting from one of the most sustained trends in the on-trade.
