Pub chain Wetherspoons, which operates more than 900 venues in the UK and Ireland, is ditching major European drinks brands in the lead up to Brexit and replacing them with selections from the Australia, Chile, New Zealand, Argentina and the US.
The move follows French champagne and Italian prosecco being removed from sale last year.
One of the big winners is Accolade Wines, with its Hardys Sparkling Pinot Chardonnay and Black Bottle brandy joining the drinks menu at the chain.
Wetherspoons owner Tim Martin noted last year: “People think the Aussies are all sledging and iron ore, but they actually produce very good sparkling wine as well.”
Martin is a big supporter of Brexit and is currently touring 100 of his pubs talking to punters about the merits of leaving the EU without a deal on March 29.
Explaining the menu changes, he said: “In blind tastings conducted by Wetherspoon, the new products were more popular than those they are replacing.
“Many commentators talk of a ‘cliff-edge’ if the UK ‘crashes out’ of the EU without a deal. In reality, there is no cliff-edge, only sunlit uplands beyond the EU’s protectionist system of quotas and tariffs.
“All EU products have UK or non-EU replacements, often at equal or better quality and price.”
Here are the drinks that have been removed:
Jagermeister
Courvoisier VS
Hennessy Fine de Cognac
All champagnes including Moet
Erdinger alcohol free beer
German wheat beers
Denmark’s Tuborg
Italian prosecco
Czech Republic’s Staropramen
Bolla Pinot Grigio
Freixenet
Here are the drinks joining the menu:
E&J Brandy
Black Bottle brandy
Strika herbal liqueur
Denbies Sparkling Whitedowns Brut
Whitedowns Rose Brut
Hardys Sparkling Pinot Chardonnay
Villa Maria wine
Casillero del Diablo
Trivento Malbec
American Coldwater Creek wines
Blue Moon Belgian White beer
Thornbridge Versa Weisse beer
SA Brains Atlantic White
Kopparberg alcohol free Strawberry & Lime (while Swedish, it will stay on the menu because it will still be produced in the UK after Brexit)
Adnams Ghost Ship
