Wetherspoons
(Picture: REUTERS)Wetherspoons announced on Wednesday that it will stop selling Russian beer following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
The pub chain said it would stop selling bottles of Baltika Lager, which is brewed in St Petersburg, at its 870 sites.
The beer, which cost £2.99, will be returned to its distributor Carlsberg, it said.
A spokesperson said it had made the decision to stop stocking the beer “in light of the current situation” in Ukraine.
Wetherspoons said in a statement: “In light of the situation in Ukraine we just felt that we could not stock it anymore.
“As of today all those beers won’t be available in any Wetherspoons pub and either have been or are in the process of being returned to the Carlsberg distributor.
“We are not implying in any way that anyone involved with the brewery is directly involved with what’s going on but we thought in light of the current situation our pubs don’t want to be serving Russian beers.”
Other bars and restaurants across the UK have halted sales of Russian alcohol including vodka.
Nightcap group, which owns venues The Cocktail Club, Tonight Josephine and Barrio Familia, has paused all sales of the alcoholic spirit across its 25 bars.
It comes as many British brands distanced themselves from doing business in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.
On Wednesday, fashion giant Asos said it was halting sales in Russia and could not fulfil deliveries in Ukraine due to the conflict.
Other companies to take action include US tech giants Apple and Google and sportswear brand Nike.
Asos said: “Asos’s priority is the safety of its colleagues and partners in Ukraine and Russia.
“Immediately following the invasion, Asos suspended sales in Ukraine as it became impossible to serve customers there.
“Against the backdrop of the continuing war, Asos has decided that it is neither practical nor right to continue to trade in Russia, and has therefore today suspended our sales there.
“Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine and all those affected in the region.”
Apple said earlier in the day that it would halt product sales in Russia, where iPhones are the third best-selling smartphones, having already suspended Apple Pay services.
Google has removed Russian state-funded publishers including RT, which is under investigation by UK regulator Ofcom, from its features and limited its Google Pay service.
Nike’s Russian website was also down and not accepting delivery orders, although customers were encouraged to visit stores instead, which remain open.
