Diageo UK decided to withdraw the home Surger Unit after a 2 year trial. The reason they gave to the many customers who had forked out £16.99 for the unit was that the uptake wasn't as they had hoped for.
Tesco, who were the retail partner in this trial, were obviously not happy at having stock in their warehouses and shelves which wasn't selling either.
So why did it not sell as well as had been hoped for? Well one reason could be the marketing or more likely the lack of marketing. Do you remember all those adverts on TV for the "NEW GUINNESS SURGER UNIT"? or the full page ads in the national papers stating "GUINNESS DRAUGHT SURGER - BRING A TASTE OF DUBLIN HOME"?
No?!........Why not?
The reason you don't remember seeing any of this, is that it never happened! The only marketing I was ever aware of was on the Guinness.com website. Now I know that in this day and age most people have some sort of access to the internet, but for this to be the only outlet for advertising what is, in my opinion, the best take home version of Guinness ever to be sold, shows a lack of enthusiasim on Diageo's part.
Now that the bar-top Surger Unit seems to be taking off pretty well across the world, I think it's about time that Diageo UK gave the home unit another try or at the very least make Guinness Surger cans readily available to the general public. The cans are being produced in the UK, so why not sell them to people who actually want to buy them?
So far it's been a rocky year for Diageo. As the global recession deepens and consumer confidence remains low, they have been cutting costs and shedding jobs to protect their profits. In January, they said they may change or abandon $1.1 billion plans to reform production in Ireland and open a new state-of-the-art brewery.
If they need to increase sales then why not sell Surger cans to the public?
It's not all about sales though is it? It's about quality too. Two quotes I found on the internet back up this statement.
The first is from Master Brewmaster Fergal Murray - "Quality is the most important element of Guinness growth around the world. We have to have a visual experience, then a quality experience. And when you come to do an innovative product, you can't let the quality down."
Guinness Group marketing manager Matt Brand,referring to the Surger Unit, also said “(Customers) will now be able to order a draught Guinness in a much wider range of bars and trust that the quality, taste and presentation is exactly the same as it would be in Dublin"
I also just came across the following statement on the USA Guinness site - "In our relentless pursuit for the perfect pint of GUINNESS® Draught no matter where you are, we present the GUINNESS® Draught Surger® device."
Notice they say "NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE"....well doesn't this included at home too?
If the guys at Guinness are truely serious about what they say with regards to the quality and presentation of their products, then why are people who want to drink Guinness at home being forced into buying an inferior product.......the Guinness Draught Widget can? Sure, the Widget can has done a good job for the past 21 years in giving us an imperfect version of the smooth and creamy Draught Guinness that we're used to getting at the pub, but times change, technology moves on and processes are refined. Guinness has achieved this refinement in the Surger Unit and Surger cans. So come on Guinness, give us what we want.....Surger cans in shops....NOW!
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50 comments:
Your history says that in 2009 Surger guinness is available in Europe to licenced premises. Who from and where can licenced premises get it please?
I reckon they pulled surger from the UK shops because of pressure from the pubs. Big price difference and better guinness!
Malcolm I couldn't reply to you directly as you have not enabled that facility. Where are you in Europe?
Hi Guinness Surger
I live near Ayamonte, a town on the Spanish border with Portuguese Algarve. If I could get hold of Surger Guinness I could sell gallons!
Malcolm, your drinks supplier should be able to get a hold of them for you. If you are struggling try this company www.biereservis.com they are based in Spain.
Good luck!
Hi. Thanks for the website. I bought a unit some years ago. I have one can left - it's in my bedroom!! I wonder how it will keep?
I remember bulk-buying a lod of packs when they announced the withdrawal date.
Where can I get a list of London pubs who serve surger Guinness?
Thanks.
Hi paddle9,
Getting any information on the Surger unit is very difficult. I really don't know where you would find a list of such pubs. You could always try sending an email to Guinness, but I reckon even they won't know the answer :(
I now have a contact in Scotland for the Surger cans. Unfortunately they do not cover England.
Let me know how you get on.
Good luck!
I'd be pleased to find ANY contact in Europe who'd ship surger cans to Germany. I am really desperate. :(
Any idea?
Anne,
Try emailing this person, Raimund Lenz at styria.1@aon.at
I bought a bar top Surger unit from him a while back, so he may be able to get you the cans as he is based in Austria.
Hope this helps!
Let me know how you get on.
Hi,
I bought my husband a surger unit and cans when we lived in England. We now live in the US (Hawaii) and cannot find surger cans anywhere and when we ask about them no one knows what we are talking about!
It's my husbands birthday next week and I would love to be able to get hold of some cans for him. Please help, it doesn't have to be in Hawaii, preferably West coast USA (but anywhere in the US will do too)!
Thanks!
Marianne,
I have sent you an email.
Regards.
I have two surger units - and no cans! you said that you had a contact in Scotland. That's where I am - maybe I could do business with your contact?
Scott
Hi Scott,
Send me an email to surger@sky.com
Cheers!
Is there anyway to get a unit and cans in the US Chicago area?
Patrick,
Probably the easiest way to get a unit would be to buy one on Ebay. As for the cans, send me an email to surger@sky.com and I'll send you the details of a couple of comapanies who "may" be able to help.
Im in Brazil is that a way to buy surger cans here? Does it work with normal Guinnes cans?
Lula,
You cannot use normal Guinness cans, you must use the special Guinness Surger cans.
I'm sure the Surger is available in Brazil, but unfortunately I don't have any details of suppliers in that region.
Good luck!
im in the uk and can lay my hands on as many cans as i want, i use the surger in my bar! ambritton@ntlworl.com
Guinness Surger cans are available from all Booker Cash & Carry in the UK, (And all other good wholesalers) granted you probably need to be in the trade to gain access.
Like wise they are available from Makro cash and carry. Again trade only.
I was at the suffolk show the other day. They were testing one f these in a beer tent. Announcing it as the new surger unit from diaggio.
Both these tit bits have lead me to believe that Hence finding this site on google
Fingers crossed there may be a relaunch soon.
Makro and Costco cash and carries aren't just for the trade, anybody can join and shop there, but you have to become a member.
Thanks for all the helpful tips and comments people.
There certainly does seem to be an increase in the number of bars and restaurants using the bar-top Surger unit and a greater number of wholesalers stocking the cans too.
As someone else said above, hopefully this will eventually lead to a relaunch of the home Surger unit.
I contacted Diageo when they were pulling the plug and reading between the lines, I suspect that they had an exclusive deal with Tesco that they could not get out of and that Tesco's pathetic attempts to market and sell the product meant that Diageo were losing money hand over fist, and the only way out was to discontinue the product. The fact that it is now available in bars only leads me to believe that that the exclusivity on the contract is coming to an end and that perhaps we may see the surger re-introduced through sensible sales channels as people are introduced to the product through the trade. In the meantime I am going to get my cans through a friend who runs a bar!
I have found a company based in London, Monarchy Catering.
Guinness Surger cans available at Makro cash and carry and also surger units at £14.99 + VAT (buy two cases of surger get a surger unit free.14/12/2010.Happy Days
Buy online here: http://www.drinksdirect.co.uk/acatalog/Guinness_Draught_Surger_520ml.html £34.99 for 24 520ml cans complete with free surger for every pack
I ordered 2 lots of the Drinks Direct offer today - although whether or not I can find a buyer for the second surger gadget is another matter. Great offer, great price at £1.46 per can and free machine :)
hey there, i noticed in a previous comment you stated you now know a scottish supplier of guinness surger cans, anychance you could let me know who that is ?
thanks alot, Jamie from Scotland.
Drinks Direct has an offer - you have to purchase 24 surger cans and you get a free surger unit with this. Here's the link:-
http://www.drinksdirect.co.uk/acatalog/Guinness_Draught_Surger_520ml.html
Enjoy!!!!
I have 1 surger unit for sale if anyone is interested. Best offer (I do have a 2nd. but need to find it first.) (1st edition) jecg27@gmail.com
im interested in Guinness Surger unit (just the unit), the problem is i am in Jakarta, Indonesia, will pay for the shipping fee.
my contact: frankytjhin@hotmail.com
thx
As the son of a former high up in Diageo I am gutted to find that I can now only get the cans by paying an extortionate price to a third party. Not even available thru the staff shop anymore!!! Come on Diageo, bring back your best guinness since the pint I had in the pub!!
When the Surger cans we introduced, me like many of my friends never heard of it till it ceased being sold to the public
We now have a unit but have to pay high prices for the cans
Please once again make them available in supermarkets, I am sure with a little advertising they will be a success
Regards, Darren.
you can buy surger cans in the U.K,MAKRO sell them, 24 cans for just over £36, value. So dont bother eith these overpriced online disributors.
Enjoy
Ted from Everton
I'd never heard of Guinness surger until 2 weeks ago. Fantastic product & I cant believe how hard it is to get your hands on the unit or the cans.
For consistently high quality, its going to take a lot to beat it.
Great site btw
C'mon Diageo UK, lets make this thing happen.
Sussex Guinness drinker
Another Crap attempt to fob the consumer off with an inferior product whose only virtue is it looks like Guiness. Real Guiness requires careful handling & sufficient sales to ensure freshness. If you want Guiness at home, buy the bottled version!
If this is the only way I can get a guinness in a pub then i think i will pass.
It tasted foul, give me a proper keg anytime.
I too have tried (in vain) to get any info on the whereabouts of the domestic surger unit. My local bar owner(Wayne at the Parsonage, Worthing) has had one installed and I am now a new and enthusiastic consumer of the brown stuff. I will ask him for the name of his supplier of cans (there seems to be no problem there) but he knows not of the domestic version . I suppose if you were desperate you could feasably buy the pub version and fit it to your kitchen worktop LOL!
Hello,
I tried to find Guinness surger cans and units here in France but hard to find and they only sell the big surger unit for more than 240€!
Can somebody tell me where to buy it? Is delivery from Uk-Onlineshops possible?
Thanks!
Hi, i'm italian and i'm a proud owner of the Surger, i want to buy the cans cause my stock is finished but i can't find, please help me.
Thanks.
I have just ordered surger cans from ampmdirect.co.uk and they are shipping them to Italy for me for £20. Really helpful team of staff as well.
The 330ml cans are available in Italy. I have a friend there who installed a Surger unit in his bar 5 years ago and has been getting regular stock from his supplier since then.
My family bought a surgery for me for Xmas 2013 but as I live in jersey uk they could not get sent to the channel islands they tried by asking another family member living in England but they had the same problem they could not send the Guinness surger cans but did send the surger.
I managed to get a couple of cases but now my brother in the uk is stuck with 2 cases and unable to find a surgery unit to buy can anyone help
Anyone know where I can purchase a guinness surger unit please?
We sell packs of Surger cans from stock.... www.totaldrinks.co.uk/product.php?id=934
I have just gotten used to drinking surgery in my club. They don't sell draught as I seem to one of the few Guinness drinkers. I would like a surgery unit for my home use.
Diagio are missing a trick here: how many packs of (the higher priced) surger guinness would they have sold this year alone? release it via amazon if you cant be bothered to do the logistics :-)
Please can you make surgers available again
Where can one buy a Surger unit these days?
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