Shock Theft Leaves Pubs Dry and Supermarkets Panic – Where is the Black Gold?
Credit: Shutterstock, Dmitry Dven
Where did all the Guinness go? This is the question on everyone’s lips at the moment.
Christmas 2024 may have been merry for many, but for Guinness lovers, it has been a holiday nightmare. What was already a nationwide shortage of the black stuff has now turned into the ultimate heist of the year – with a whopping 35,000 pints of the world-famous stout vanishing into thin air. Where is the black gold? Who took it? And most importantly, why did they take it from us?
Reports reveal that in mid-December, a truck carrying 400 kegs of Guinness – the equivalent of 35,200 pints – disappeared from a depot in Daventry, Northamptonshire. The haul, which was destined for pubs desperate for their festive Guinness fix, has left drinkers high and dry, with no sign of the purloined pints.
Vanishing pint heist – Who’s behind this shameless Guinness theft?
The stolen truck, loaded with a serious amount of Guinness, was reported missing by a subcontractor working with Diageo, the company behind the stout. Sources say the crime was reported to police, but despite their best efforts, the Guinness remains nowhere to be found.
Diageo, for its part, is staying tight-lipped about the incident, but insiders are certain it’s a serious blow to the already strained Guinness supply chain. And with pubs running dry, the pressure is on to find out just where the black gold is hiding.
Guinness shortage leaves drinkers in a lather
It’s not just the thieves who are to blame for the Guinness crisis. The stout’s newfound popularity with the Gen Z crowd – eager to show off their pints on Instagram – has only made the shortage worse. With consumers stockpiling like there’s no tomorrow, Diageo has even resorted to sending backup supplies straight from Ireland to keep the taps flowing.
Supermarkets have felt the pinch too, with shelves threatening to run empty and some pubs forced to ration their Guinness. And now, this shocking theft has made things even worse. Who’s behind the great Guinness getaway? Was it a mastermind gang targeting the festive period, or a lone wolf looking for a pint-sized payday?
The crime wave spreads
This isn’t the first time criminals have targeted food and drink during the busy holiday season. Earlier this month, a Michelin-starred chef made a public plea after his van, containing 2,500 stolen pies, was swiped. He begged the thieves to do the right thing and donate the stolen goods to those in need.
But it doesn’t stop there. In another crime wave, detectives investigating the theft of 22 tonnes of cheese from Neal’s Yard Dairy arrested a man for handling stolen goods. This time, 950 wheels of cheddar – worth an eye-watering £300,000 – were stolen and sold to a fraudster posing as a distributor.
And now, the Guinness heist has thrown its hat into the ring, proving once again that criminals will stop at nothing to get their hands on the good stuff.
A familiar crime – Guinness heist wasn’t a first
The Great Guinness Heist of 2024 isn’t even the first time thieves have targeted the silky black libation at Christmas. Back in 2007, a gang made off with 40,000 pints of Guinness, Budweiser, and Carlsberg in one of the most daring thefts of the festive period. And just like then, this year’s robbery has left the nation wondering: what’s next?
The missing 35,000 pints – Will they ever return?
As 2024 came to a close, questions lingered over the fate of the stolen pints. Will we ever see the return of the missing Guinness? Or has this heist been carefully planned by a criminal mastermind?
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