Diageo is still a relatively young company – we have only existed in our current form since 1997- but our brands and our business have a rich heritage.

For example our earliest ancestor company formed in 1749, is Justerini & Brooks – wine merchants, and blenders of the famous J&B whisky range. 10 years after that, in 1759 Arthur Guinness signed the lease on the now world famous St James’s Gate brewery in Dublin, going on to create a globally iconic brand.

Many of our distilleries were also fired-up in the late eighteenth century. Through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries our range of brands and our business continued to innovate and expand under various parent companies, and in 1997 Diageo was created through the merger of Grand Metropolitan Public Limited Company and Guinness PLC, creating a food and drinks conglomerate which included the world’s greatest collection of premium drinks.

Between 2000 and 2002 we made the strategic decision to exit our food interests – with Burger King and Pillsbury being the two main divestments – and to focus exclusively on premium beverage alcohol. It was during this period, in 2001, that we acquired additional spirits and wine brands from Seagram, and we have subsequently expanded our range through both selective long term value acquisitions, strategic partnerships and innovation.

While we look always to the next step in the Diageo journey, we are grateful for the strength which the long and rich heritage of our brands brings to our company.”