The global drinks giant said it had invested in training, equipment upgrades and additional sales support to help operators meet demand for Guinness during the crucial festive trading period.
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It includes staff training on pouring and glass hygiene, alongside tailored stock and Guinness 0.0 advice from its expanded field teams.
Alongside this, Diageo said it would distribute 1m new Guinness glasses to pubs across Great Britain, as well as font upgrades and point-of-sale materials.
Diageo on-trade commercial director Joe Gosney said: “Winter is one of the biggest trading periods of the year for our customers and Guinness plays an increasingly important part in that.
“We want operators heading into this key period to feel confident they have the stock, tools and support they need to make the most of Guinness season.
Immediate opportunity
“There’s a very immediate opportunity for pubs this winter and the growth behind Guinness is a long-term opportunity in which we’re investing.”
In its latest results, Diageo reported a 1.2% increase in sales to £3.63bn for the three months to 30 September 2026, with Guinness among its strongest-performing brands.
The figures followed the company’s full-year results published in August, when Guinness continued to outperform the wider beer market and gain share in UK pubs despite a decline in group sales.
Diageo also opened its new €300m Littleconnell Brewery in Co. Kildare in May this year.
It has also revealed plans to invest a further €400m over the next three years to build a second brewery at the site dedicated to Guinness and Guinness 0.0, which is expected to more than double its brewing capacity.
However, surging demand for the black stuff has presented supply issues in recent years.
Going back to November 2024, the drinks giant faced shortages after an exceptional spike in demand ahead of Christmas.
CGA data showed keg Guinness volumes were up 20% year-on-year in October 2024, prompting Diageo to maximise supply and work with customers to manage distribution.
Rising demand
Supply concerns then resurfaced in December 2025 after industrial action was announced at Diageo’s Belfast canning site.
In the final 12 weeks of 2025, Guinness Draught value sales saw a 25% increase.
Some 104m pints were poured in the on-trade, meaning Guinness accounted for one in every seven draught beer and cider pints sold in pubs and bars during the period.
However, the company stressed at the time it had contingency plans in place to avoid disruption, and was selling more Guinness and Guinness 0.0 than ever.
Despite this, some operators continued to report difficulties sourcing Guinness Draught and Guinness 0.0 in January 2026, with some turning to alternative stouts to meet demand, they told The Morning Advertiser (The MA) at the time.
Diageo insisted at the time it was working with customers to manage distribution and replenish stock following the busy festive period.
