His Majesty The King officially opened the Guinness Open Gate Brewery London, a £73 million investment, marking a major milestone for Diageo’s presence in the capital.
The new brewery, located in the heart of Covent Garden, was formally opened on 18 December. The King was welcomed with a traditional Irish greeting of ‘Céad Míle Fáilte’ before touring the site with Guinness Open Gate Brewery London managing director Jason Thorndycraft and master brewer Hollie Stephenson.
During the visit, His Majesty sampled a range of beers brewed on site, including Old Brewer’s Yard Porter, Winter Warmer – the first in a series of seasonal limited-edition craft beers – and an Apricot Sour. In the venue’s 232° Bar, named after the temperature at which barley is roasted for Guinness, The King was also shown how to pour the perfect pint and printed a festive message on the foam.
The brewery will serve as the southern hub for Diageo’s Learning for Life hospitality training programme. As part of the visit, The King met recent graduates who have gone on to begin careers in the hospitality sector, alongside representatives from The King’s Foundation Introduction to Hospitality programme.
Community engagement was a central theme of the opening, with The King meeting local businesses and organisations in Old Brewer’s Yard, including Pineapple Dance Studios, the Covent Garden Area Trust and Dragon Hall Trust. Festive celebrations were accompanied by Christmas carols from the Covent Garden Chorus.
Food from the brewery’s restaurants, supplied by local producers, was also showcased. These included oysters from Gilroy’s Loft, handmade pies from Old Brewer’s Yard and Guinness cake from The Porter’s Table.
The visit concluded with Diageo chairman Sir John Manzoni and interim chief executive Nik Jhangiani inviting The King to unveil a commemorative plaque to mark the official opening.
Commenting on the occasion, Jhangiani said: “We’re honoured to have His Majesty The King officially open our Guinness Open Gate Brewery London today. Pubs and restaurants are the heartbeat of the hospitality sector and this is a wonderful show of support for the industry at this time.”