Truck carrying 20,000 litres of stout beer stolen in UK heist

Amid the shortage of Guinness that forced the stout lovers in the UK to ration pints, a heist of 35,000 pints has exacerbated the drought.

Guinness, a stout beer that originated in Ireland, has been at risk of running out of markets due to people stocking it, according to reports. A backup has been sent from the Guinness reserves in Ireland.

The heist happened in England’s Northamptonshire from a logistics hub near Daventry in mid-December. A truck that was carrying 400 kegs, each 50-litre, disappeared.

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Diageo, a beverage company that owns Guinness, has not made any statements on the missing beer yet. However, a subcontractor working for a company to which Diageo supplies had reported the theft to the cops, The Guardian reported, citing a source.

With its growing popularity among Gen Z, Guinness has been falling short of meeting the demand. The stout is brewed by Diageo at its St. James’s Gate brewery in Dublin. Over the last few years, the company has intensified its marketing by working with influencers.

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This is not the first time that stout beer has been stolen. In 2007, 180 kegs of Guinness, 180 kegs of Budweiser, and 90 kegs of Carlsberg were stolen from the St James’s Gate brewery in Dublin. 

There are reports of thefts of other edible delicacies. In December 2024, a van containing 2,500 pies was stolen, following which Michelin-starred chef Tommy Banks issued a public appeal to criminals to “do the right thing” and give them to people in need.

In another heist in October, 22 tonnes of cheese worth up to £300,000 ($376400) was taken from Neal’s Yard Dairy. An investigation was launched, and a 63-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of fraud by falsely posing as a wholesale distributor for a big French retailer.

(With inputs from agencies)