Wetherspoons is ditching German beers and Champagne for British brands ahead of Brexit
The pub chain said it will offer more drinks from UK and non-EU producers and brewers across all 880 pubs from July 9
WETHERSPOONS is ditching German beers and Champagne for British brands in the run-up to Brexit.
The pub chain, whose boss Tim Martin backed the leave campaign, said it will offer more drinks from UK and non-EU producers and brewers across all 880 pubs from July 9.
Champagne made in France will be replaced with sparkling wines from the UK like Denbies Sparkling Whitedowns Brut and Whitedowns Rose Brut but also Hardys Sparkling Pinot Chardonnay from Australia.
The chain will also bring more UK wheat beers to its pubs, while the Erdinger alcohol free beer from Germany will be swapped for an alternative made by UK brewer Adnams.
Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin, said: "This move helps us to broaden our horizons so that we create an improved offer for the two million customers who visit our pubs each week."
Today's announcement is part of a move to review all the products sold at the pub over the next two years to make the business “more competitive”.
Which products are being replaced and which are being added?
THE switch will affect all 880 Wetherspoon pubs from July 9.
What is being dropped
- French Champagne
- Wheat beers from German brewery Erdinger
What is being introduced or staying
- Sparkling wines from the UK and Austrlia - including Denbies Sparkling Whitedowns Brut and Whitedowns Rose Brut from the Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking, Surrey, as well as Hardys Sparkling Pinot Chardonnay from Australia.
- Wheat beer made in the UK - Blue Moon Belgian White (owned by US-based MillerCoors), Thornbridge Versa Weisse Beer (from Derbyshire) and Cardiff-based SA Brains' Atlantic White.
- Alcohol-free Adnams Ghost Ship, produced by Suffolk-based Adnams Brewery
- Kopparberg cider - Wetherspoons will continue to serve the cider from Sweden.
The new drinks are being introduced at a lower prices than the EU products they are replacing, according to Tim Martin.
He added: "The EU's customs union is a protectionist system which is widely misunderstood.
"It imposes tariffs on the 93 per cent of the world that is not in the EU, keeping prices high for UK consumers.”
";Tariffs are imposed on wine from Australia, New Zealand and the US, and also on coffee, oranges, rice and more than 12,000 other products.
"There will be an inevitable transfer of trade post-Brexit to countries outside the EU, which will reduce prices in shops and pubs.
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"We intend to honour existing contracts with EU suppliers, some of which have several years to run. However, we are starting to make the transition to non-EU trade now."
Earlier this year, Wetherspoons' boss warned that the pub chain could remove Prosecco and Champagne from the bar if the EU imposes higher taxes on fizz after the UK leaves the European Union.
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He hinted he could instead look for alternatives from outside the European Union.
Known for being a staunch advocate of the Leave campaign, Tim Martin has previously printed and distributed half a million pro-Brexit beer mats attacking George Osborne's stance on the EU referendum.
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