Pubs warn new Guinness brewery ‘could spike the price of beer’ and is ‘arty farty’

Irish pubs and venues have said they fear the price in Guinness will now spike after the stout’s maker announced it was opening a new brewery bar in central London.

Diageo, which owns Guinness, is spending £73 million on a restaurant and brewery bar in Old Brewer’s Yard in Covent Garden.

The Open Gate brewery will be the drinks giant’s fourth such project and will be its flagship venue for Guinness, known as the ‘black stuff’, in London.

The complex, which includes a brewery but will not make Guinness, expects to attract half a million visitors in its first year.

It will have Guinness merchandise on sale and hopes to cash in on the drink’s popularity as a symbol of the Emerald Isle when it opens later on this year.

But the move exemplifies the change from Guinness as a staple for pub goers in the capital to an ‘expensive luxury’, according to some venues in the capital.

Kilburn and neigbouring area Willesden have large Irish communities centred around Kilburn High Road, where Guinness has always been a taste of home.

Margaret Conway, who runs the bar at the Mazenod Irish social club in Kilburn, north west London told Metro: ‘Guinness was always the go to drink for working people.

‘It’s traditional and means a lot to the people. Whether you are a hard working person having a pint after your job or a pensioner coming in for a half and a chat and some company it’s woven into the fabric of the Irish community.

‘But it’s changing and it’s becoming much more expensive. It’s a bit cheaper here because it’s a social club but pub prices are crazy.

‘The plan to set up a posh brewery bar in central London sums it up. The tradition is being lost and it’s such a shame. It is no longer the drink it was.

‘It’s still popular, a few months ago there was a shortage and people were all talking about it and when we got more stock it was like kids in a sweet shop. But for many people it’s not an option now because of cost. It’s becoming a luxury.’

While the price of Guinness is topping £6 a pint in many central London bars, a list for the new brewery bar is yet to be fixed.

The Covent Garden bar will be 54,000 sq feet and have capacity for 350 people. A microbrewery will produce up to 14 limited edition craft beers.

Diageo say up to 350 jobs will be created while they hope to open by Christmas.

Jenny Conway, who had been a bartender at Tony’s Irish bar in Willesden for 20 years, said the makers of Guinness were being ‘arty farty’ and ‘gimmicky’ with the new in opening a new flagship but punters were still sipping many pints.

She added that despite the younger generation drinking less alcohol these days, they are quickly becoming the predominant market for Guinness sales.

She told Metro: ‘For a while now they have been trying all sorts to push the brand. There is even a Guinness branded phone charger in our pub.

‘The new brewery pub is all part of their arty farty gimmicky approach but to be fair the young crowd are going for it. The tradition is changing but the pints are still being drink and everything Irish is trendy.

‘We keep a good Guinness here and are very proud. It’s very important how you pour it as well. I hope in the trendy new place they are taught that.’

Meanwhile Richard Chaney, landlord at Coopers, an Irish pub on Kilburn High Road, said Guinness had been rebranded by Diageo and that traditional drinkers were no longer the priority.

He told Metro: ‘Guinness is no longer trying to appeal to the older generation. Many of those are dying off and they are trying to attract new drinkers and make it trendy.

‘A lot of the drinkers are now young and there are many more women. They are moving away from traditions. That’s what the new bar in central London is all about, making Guinness more fashionable and they are being successful in that.

‘We see how the priorities change. On St Patrick’s Day usually Diageo send us lots of glasses and extra stuff but not this year. They are not so interested … the bar project in Covent Garden reflects the change away from traditional more elderly drinkers to a new crowd. It’s business I suppose but in some ways is sad.’

It is understood that Diageo does not set the retail price of pints and pubs remain free at all times to set the price of their products.

The average price of a Guinness in the UK us 12% lower than the average for world premium lagers.

The average price of a pint of Guinness in the UK is £4.62 vs average world lager price of £5.45.

All Guinness for the European market is brewed in Dublin. It is estimated that one in every ten pints pulled in London is a Guinness. But pubs were hit by a shortage earlier in the year.

The brewery building will be open from 9.30am to 11.30pm during the week, with paid for tours available in the early evening.

There will be two restaurants, including a brasserie and grill on the ground and first floor, and a seafood outlet on the rooftop.

Diageo is also installing a food truck in the courtyard. The venue will also become the southern UK hub of Diageo’s Learning for Life Bartending and Hospitality programme, with an ambition for over 100 London based students to graduate from the ‘Guinness at Old Brewer’s Yard’ programme annually.

Open Gate Brewery will occupy the five buildings around a covered courtyard on a site owned by the Mercers’ livery company. Brewing in the building can be traced back to 1722.

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