‘I went to five pubs searching Guinness – I can’t believe what 1 landlord said’

Pub staff have told of “crazy” Guinness orders at their bars, draining them dry amid a shortage of the black stuff.

Express.co.uk visited venues in Waterloo, London, to speak to managers about how they were coping.

They said they were running out of beer when they needed it most, as they had to cope with fewer kegs than they would like.

One supervisor also said people were entering their bar because they could not get Guinness elsewhere.

The drink’s popularity online is cited as the cause of an uptick in sales, with people travelling around and reviewing the stout at different pubs.

Punters have also been ranking heads on the drink when it is poured at different bars and attempting to “split the G”.

This involves taking large gulps of the beverage and trying to ensure that the beer’s surface lies slap-bang in the middle of the Guinness logo on the glass.

When our reporter started asking around, things seemed normal at first. At White Hart in Cornwall Road staff member said: “We’ve got plenty.”

Then, at The King’s Arms, it was too busy for staff to spare the time to speak to us.

However, Grace Samuels, 22, a supervisor at Auberge bar in Sandell Street, “hidden” round the corner right next to Waterloo East Station, was more than happy to speak about the situation.

She has worked at the venue – which sells pints of Guinness for £6.33 – for nearly three years. But, in 2024, in particular, the bar has run out multiple times as it is “non-stop pouring Guinnesses”.

This has been especially the case since about October, Ms Samuels adds, and, on one occasion, a few people came into Auberge saying that they could not get any of the black stuff in the pub elsewhere.

She added that the situation is “crazy” and that the venue also runs out of Guinness glasses. Customers are said to “complain” if given a plain glass.

Asked about reports of places having to ration the amount they pour, Ms Samuels said: “We don’t really ration it. But, if we run out, Guinness is usually the first thing we run out of.”

She added: “Obviously, it’s mostly men drinking Guinness, and now the girls are drinking Guinness. It’s super popular… nothing else has run out… people are wanting the Guinness.   

“The second it got to November, everyone’s switched from a normal pint to a Guinness, it seems.”

Grace also said, “We’ve run out a few times. Sometimes, we have to borrow Guinness as well.” She added that she had heard that overall, it had been “more difficult to get.”

Next, Express.co.uk dropped into The Wellington next door, a Fuller’s pub. However, a gentleman behind the bar said that he had been expecting someone to turn up asking about Guinness and had been told not to talk to them.

The Duke of Sussex in Baylis Road was the next place to be visited.

Jack, 24, a supervisor who has worked at the venue for six years, said the pub had “got loads of it”.

Full 50-litre kegs are still delivered there, but Guinness tends to run out around “twice a month”. Rugby nights are particularly busy, Jack added.

Lastly, we dropped into Vaulty Towers in Lower Marsh, tied to Stonegate.

Will Harwood is a co-manager there, and he said that the pub has been running out of Guinness lately when they need it the most.

Originally, six kegs a week would not last two days, but 12 kegs were then delivered because it is a “high-volume site.”

Mr Harwood added that more than 1,000 pints a week, and the stock of the black stuff runs out on Saturdays at around 6pm – the “busiest time of the week”.

He told Express.co.uk that there is a suspicion that stock is being protected rather than a shortage, and “independents are struggling more” than pub chains.

“But I think we’re alright now,” Will added, “I think this week’s a little bit quieter, and they managed to give us 14 kegs this week, which is what we needed last week… The popularity has gone through the roof.

“I don’t know what’s happened with Guinness. For some reason, now everyone is drinking Guinness… I think it is literally the idea of people splitting the G, and places like The Devonshire [a pub in Soho which has been described by GQ as “perfect for Guinness”], and people on social media saying the Guinness tests, head tests

“There’s plenty of people online that are making it look more popular.”

Mr Harwood then, like Grace, mentioned difficulties getting hold of glassware, claiming that there’s been a three-month wait for new branded Guinness glasses to be delivered.

Mr Harwood thinks the worry is that they don’t want to give Guinness to places and then “hold it all. “There’s not an actual shortage; it’s just made up,” he added.

When supply issues were at their worst, the venue had a “no shortage here sign” displayed outside, but staff “had to bring it in”.

Will then detailed that Guinness has been selling more than double the pub’s next highest performer.

MailOnline reports that deliveries of Guinness to Britain could be hit after it was announced that Holyhead Port will remain closed until mid-January at the earliest.

It came after Diageo said supplies to England, Scotland and Wales would be limited amid a surge in demand.

Deliveries of Guinness to Britain could also be hit, weeks after Diageo said supplies to England, Scotland and Wales would be limited amid a surge in demand – fuelled by the stout becoming popular among young people and women in recent years.