Looks like Irish pubs will have no shortage of the black stuff this summer.
Guinness has announced plans to ramp up its brewing operations by an extra 5 million pints at St. James’ Gate every week ahead of the highly anticipated reopening of pubs and restaurants.
Outdoor dining is set to open on 7 June, meanwhile, indoor dining will be back on the cards from 5 July.
Now, Guinness has confirmed plans to ramp up its brewing process to ensure no Irish pubs have to go without ahead of their reopening.
Speaking on Tuesday, Hilary Quinn, Marketing Director of Diageo Ireland said: “Guinness is committed to supporting Irish pubs and the hospitality trade to emerge stronger.
“We’ve worked hand in hand with trade partners to provide vital solutions since lockdown measures were introduced on 15 March 2020 and we will continue to do so through Guinness Raising the Bar.
“The initiative is our commitment to the future of the Irish pub which serves as the social hub at the heart of our communities; a place to connect, to converse, to share, to enjoy.”
Quinn added that the brewers at St James’ Gate and Guinness quality teams have been “working flat out to ensure every outlet is fully equipped with fresh, beautiful Guinness” ahead of the reopening of the hospitality sector.
To offer a much-needed boost to the struggling pub trade which has now been closed for over 16 months, Guinness also announced a €14 million fund called ‘Raising the Bar’ as of last June.
This initiative aims to provide the Irish pub and hospitality trade with “vital services and expertise to help aid outlets in reopening this summer.”
Since the launch of the fund 11 months ago, more than 5,000 publicans have signed up to the Raising the Bar programme.
Guinness has supplied 5,000 safety kits, 50,000 staff uniforms, and 125,000 litres of hand sanitiser as part of these measures. They have also offered upskilling and Covid-19 safety training for 21,872 bar-staff and helped to construct over 1,200 outdoor spaces in pubs around the country.
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