Diageo forced to its drop second product development in a year

Diageo is to ditch its pint dispensing system Guinness FastPour, less than a year after its trial, following a disappointing response from customers.

The FastPour system, which claimed to deliver a “perfect pint” in only 25 seconds instead of the usual 119.5 seconds, was first tested in September last year in pubs across London and Yorkshire. The system was used to serve Guinness Draught Extra Cold and was aimed at busy bars to cut waiting time.

This is the second time this year that Diageo has ditched a new development. Last month, the company decided to cease production of its ready-to-drink gin-based product, Gordon’s Edge because of disappointing sales.

Diageo is now launching a £250,000 on-trade programme to replace FastPour, called Born Again Basics which will train bartenders to offer customers a “perfect pint with a creamy head” and at the right temperature.

Guinness senior brand manager Radha Rajamohan says: “The initial results for FastPour showed that consumers do understand the relevance of the proposition, but it still triggered less demand than the initial tests indicated. The Born Again Basics programme will look into what consumers want, which is a consistent quality Guinness experience.”