At her London pub, landlady Kate Davidson has taken to issuing Guinness ration cards, but still the beer has run out amid a UK shortage of Ireland ’s national drink. Bars across Britain, even Irish ones, have reported limited supplies of the black stuff since Guinness owner Diageo announced earlier this month that it was experiencing “exceptional consumer demand”. “I’m a bit shocked because it’s Christmas,” said Davidson, co-owner of the Old Ivy House, where an empty upside down Guinness glass signalled that its tap had run dry.
“I wouldn’t have expected them to run out at this time of year,” the 42-year-old told AFP at the cosy boozer in the Clerkenwell area of central London. A number of factors have meant that Diageo has become a victim of its own success..