Historic Guinness time capsule unsealed to mark Coronation
Diageo has revealed the contents of an historic Guinness time capsule that was sealed in celebration of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, with instructions for it to be opened at the time of the next coronation.
The capsule was opened for the first time by Nuno Teles, managing director Diageo GB, at the Guinness packaging plant in Runcorn, and contains a bottle of Coronation Commemorative Guinness Foreign Extra Stout from 1953 and a selection of Sovereign Coins, as well as an edition of The Daily Express from 3 June 1953.
The contents of this special edition bottle were brewed at the St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin in 1953, and then shipped to Liverpool on a Guinness-owned ship and bottled by Guinness Exports Limited. The bottle is a half pint in measure, and is heavily embossed with lion and unicorn attendants, from the Royal Coat of Arms, on either side of the Guinness trademark label. The Guinness Coronation bottle was not on general sale in 1953, but gifted to visitors of Guinness Exports in Liverpool and the Guinness Brewery at Park Royal in London.
The Coronation time capsule was laid down at Guinness Exports Norfolk Street, Liverpool – the precursor site to the Runcorn operation, which opened in 1970. It was sealed by the managing director at the time,
Arthur Fawcett, who was famed for a number of innovations around the marketing of Guinness – with an inscription on the top of the cask for opening at the time of the next Coronation.
A new time capsule was also sealed today to mark the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Queen Camilla. The new time capsule contains a selection of items that showcase the Guinness brand in 2023, the Diageo site at Runcorn and its employees, as well as the wider Diageo business. The capsule includes a letter to the opener, a list and photos of the team at Runcorn as well as the site’s weekly production schedule, and a Guinness Nitrosurge device, which has recently launched in Great Britain.
Nuno Teles, managing director Diageo GB, said: “It has been an honour to mark the Coronation of His Majesty The King and The Queen by unearthing the historic Guinness time capsule at Runcorn. The site plays a hugely important role in the positive momentum around beer and Guinness, and it is a privilege to play a part in keeping traditions like this one alive.
“There was great excitement around the Coronation and the contents of the new time capsule, which will give future generations a flavour of life at Runcorn today.”
Time capsules are a long-standing Guinness tradition and in addition to the Coronation capsule, a separate box was laid down to mark the millennium in the year 2000 and is sealed on the site until the year 2050. As part of the plant’s 150th anniversary celebrations in 2006, a package was opened for the first time revealing a tier of the original five-tier cake made for the 1956 centenary, accompanied by a letter carrying a message of inspiration for future business success.
Jesus Mata, operations manager Diageo Runcorn, said: “The opening of the 1953 time capsule and preparation of our new capsule has brought incredible excitement to our team at Runcorn. The Guinness brand remains as iconic today as it was 70 years ago when the time capsule was sealed. Diageo has recently made significant investments in Runcorn to support our growth ambitions, deliver product innovation, and reinforce our agility to meet demand and provide excellent service to our customers around the world. Having had a fascinating look at our past, the team at Runcorn is now very much focused on the exciting things in our future as we continue to supply Guinness to drinkers in Great Britain and beyond.”
