ENGLAND’S first Guinness Storehouse is set to open in London this year on the site of a former brewery.
Guinness at Old Brewer’s Yard is a new microbrewery and culture hub currently under development which is on track to open in Covent Garden this autumn.
Its location, Old Brewer’s Yard, first brewed beer back in 1722.
It returns to its roots this year as owners Diageo open their first Guinness outpost in London, which follows the opening of their Johnnie Walker Experience in Edinburgh’s Princes Street in 2021.
Diageo have invested £73million into the project, which they claim demonstrates their “confidence in London and the UK as a go-to destination for tourists” and their “commitment to the hospitality sector, which employs almost two million people in the UK”.
The brand confirms that one in every 10 pints sold in London is now a Guinness.
An artist's impression of the planned Guinness at Old Brewer's Yard developmentDayalan Nayager, Managing Director of Diageo Great Britain, said: “We’re excited to create a new home for Guinness in the heart of London.
“Guinness at Old Brewer’s Yard will strengthen London’s hospitality community and be a must-visit destination for thousands of visitors to enjoy."
The new 50,000 sq ft venue will create up to 150 jobs for Londoners.
It will also become the Southern UK hub of Diageo’s Learning for Life Bartending and Hospitality Programme.
“The ambition is for over 100 London based students to graduate from the ‘Guinness at Old Brewer’s Yard’ programme each year, with a proportion of the employment opportunities to be ring-fenced for Learning for Life graduates,” Diageo confirmed.
Once complete, the new site, which will cover locations linking Mercer Walk, Langley Street, Neal Street and Shelton Street, will include a microbrewery producing limited edition beers.
It will offer guests tours with Guinness beer specialists as well as event spaces which will be open for use by the local community.
An open-fire kitchen, restaurant and 360 degrees glass rooftop space will also be on offer within the development.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has incldued the opening of the Guinness Old Brewer’s Yard as one of the highlights for the capital’s hospitality industry in 2024.
“Dozens of exciting new restaurant, bar and pub openings are planned in the coming months, including Josephine in Chelsea, Three Sheets in Soho and England’s first ever Guinness Storehouse will open in Covent Garden,” a spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office confirmed.
