Latest news with #RossBissett
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Sales of non-alcoholic Guinness surged 35% last year
Sales of non-alcoholic Guinness 0.0 across can, draught and micro-draught cans in pubs, hotels and restaurants across Ireland increased by 35 per cent in the year to March, new data from Diageo Ireland shows. The increase comes on top of 47 per cent growth of draught Guinness 0.0 in Ireland the previous year. Having been introduced to Irish venues on draught in July 2021, the product is now available in 4,000 on-trade establishments across Ireland. The drinks giant also said it has seen a 161 per cent lift in sales of the brand on draught between June 2022 and March 2025. Diageo said this growth is 'set to continue' into 2026 when the additional €30 million investment announced late last year into Guinness 0.0 production capacity comes on stream. READ MORE This will allow the St James's Gate brewery to brew 176 million pints of Guinness 0.0 a year for international and domestic markets, Diageo said. Ross Bissett, on-trade commercial director at Diageo Ireland, said the growth of the product demonstrates the 'enormous appetite' consumers have for 'greater choice in what they are consuming'. 'Following our recent investment announcement of €30 million in Guinness 0.0 production, we expect it to take up about 12 per cent of all production at St James's Gate,' he added. Cathal Sheridan, who is the seventh generation of his family to run Sheridan's Bar and Restaurant in Milltown, Co Galway, said he has seen 'huge demand' for Guinness 0.0, with customers 'making the most of being able to have a few pints and be able to drive home'. 'That's something that's really important in Ireland as rural isolation becomes a bigger problem,' he said. 'It's also key for the future of rural pubs as we try to encourage folks through the door.' The demand for non-alcoholic products has been seen across the board, with Kantar's recent data showing that 6.2 per cent of all Irish households purchasing non-alcoholic drinks in January. That data was backed up by a recent Drinks Industry Group of Ireland report that found the average amount of alcohol consumed by adults in Ireland had fallen by 31 per cent since 2001.
Irish Examiner
5 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Guinness 0.0 sales up 27%, with plans for €30m investment at St James's Gate
Sales of Guinness 0.0 in bars have grown 27% in the last year, with the non-alcoholic version to take up 12% of total stout production at the Dublin brewery next year. Guinness 0.0 - known to many people as Guinness Zero - is now available in 4,000 pubs, restaurants and hotels across the island of Ireland. New figures released by Diageo show that the non-alcoholic stout has enjoyed a huge 161% increase in yearly volume on-trade sales between June 2022 and March 2025. 'The growth of Guinness 0.0 over the last three years demonstrates the enormous appetite consumers have for greater choice in what they are consuming," said Ross Bissett, Diageo Ireland on-trade commercial director. This growth is set to continue into 2026 when an additional €30m investment into Guinness 0.0 production capacity comes on stream, allowing the St James's Gate brewery to brew 176m pints of Guinness 0.0 a year for international and domestic markets. "We expect Guinness 0.0 to take up about 12% of all production at St James's Gate which is a testament to the sheer demand we're seeing and the incredible high-quality product our teams continue to produce here in Dublin 8," said Mr Bissett. Overall, Guinness 0.0 serves on the island of Ireland across can, draught and micro-draught cans in pubs, hotels and restaurants grew by 35% in the year to March 2025. First launched five years ago, Guinness 0.0 is now the biggest selling non-alcohol brand in the UK. Last month, Guinness owner Diageo's finance chief Nik Jhangiani said it would not be selling the iconic Irish brand as part of an asset sale plan, finance chief Nik Jhangiani said on Tuesday. Guinness saw net sales grow by 13% over the half-year to December. The stout's extraordinary growth, fuelled by TikTok trends to 'split the G', makes the Irish brand the star for Diageo during a difficult trading period globally. Guinness saw net sales grow by 13% over the half-year to December. The world's top spirits maker forecast a $150m hit from US president Donald Trump's tariffs, and has launched a $500 (€437m) cost-savings programme. Indeed the entire global alcohol sector has been facing some sober realities recently. This week, Remy Martin joined joins peers Diageo and Pernod Ricard in withdrawing sales targets that had become widely seen as overly ambitious as the sector endures a slowdown from previous boom years for pricey liquors.
