Guinness opens experimental brewery and visitor hub in Covent Garden, London

Diageo unveiled the Guinness Open Gate Brewery, London this week, transforming a central Covent Garden site into a large scale hospitality and brewing destination. The 54,000 square foot facility on Old Brewer's Yard carries a reported £73 million investment and is built around a working microbrewery that will focus on experimental projects, seasonal releases and limited edition craft beers. Guinness stout production will remain in Dublin.

Master brewer Hollie Stephenson will oversee the microbrewery program, which will include low alcohol options and seasonal specials alongside small batch varietals. The venue was designed to bring brewing, tasting and retail under one roof, and the new site features two restaurants, dedicated retail spaces offering exclusive collaborations and merchandise, guided brewery tours, tasting sessions, and a digital experience that traces the story of Guinness in London.

The development positions the site as both a visitor destination and a community training hub. Public areas include tasting and event spaces suitable for private hire, while programming aims to accommodate large numbers of visitors and groups. The combination of education, hospitality and retail creates practical value for homebrewers and small scale producers by exposing local drinkers to experimental beers, low alcohol alternatives and collaborative releases that may influence local demand and recipe experimentation.

For the local brewing community the new brewery offers multiple points of engagement. Brewers can study seasonal techniques and tasting formats showcased on site, homebrewers can sample low alcohol approaches and limited editions to inform recipe development, and community groups can use private hire and training spaces for workshops and events. For Covent Garden and the wider London beer scene the facility brings increased visitor traffic, retail opportunities for collaboration and a visible platform for experimental brewing practices.

With its mix of tours, tasting sessions, restaurants and retail, the Guinness Open Gate Brewery, London aims to be a year round draw for locals and visitors, while maintaining Dublin as the home of Guinness stout production.