TWO Irish brothers are trying to avoid Guinness shortages with one sibling couriering supplies to the other.
Colm Lynch and his brother Breen both run pubs in London.
They have been trying to stockpile the stout since they heard rumours of shortages at the start of December.
Colm runs the Hop Pole in Wandsworth, which boasts celebrity regulars such as Niall Horan and Lewis Capaldi, while Breen manages The White Hart on Whitechapel High Street.
The two brothers, originally from Kilberry, Co Meath, grew up behind the counter of their dad’s former bar Equus in Navan and they have now been at the helm of UK bars for over 20 years.
Guinness recently announced shortages in the UK due to the demand as popularity for the tipple surges among younger drinkers, but Colm also believes it is due to the decline in sales of bitter.
He said: “When I took over this pub, I was selling three 18 gallon barrels of bitter a week and now I am struggling to get rid of one nine-gallon barrel.
“Breen rang me to say that a pub near him had been restricted to only three barrels a week.
“I rang a few independent sellers and managed to get six extra barrels, a few of which I couriered over to Breen because the city pubs seem to have more restrictions in terms of supply.”
Breen added: “I’d sell about 12 kegs a week but I only got six on the last order.
“Luckily Colm sent me some kegs to keep me going.
“I never thought I’d see the day when pubs ran out of Guinness.”
