Markets

Diageo may ditch Harp in bid to fine-tune its spirits strategy

The drinks giant’s new chief executive Debra Crew could find that disposing of the lager and its other beer brands poses a challenge as fizz goes out of sales

Smithwicks could be sold off by Diageo: the company are not losing money, they just aren’t making enough at a time when shareholders have soured on Diageo

Debra Crew, the new Diageo chief executive, may be about to find out that when the question is ‘anyone fancy a Harp?’, the answer is probably no.

It emerged last week that the unfairly maligned pilsner might be put up for sale alongside Diageo’s other beer brands Smithwicks, Kilkenny, and Hop House as they are a drag on the business.

There is no mention of the recently launched Rockshore lager and its sister cider, but ...