Wetherspoons here not in its EU product ban

The decision by the JD Wetherspoon pub chain not to sell certain ‘EU’ brands such as Jagermeister and some French Cognacs in its UK outlets from September 26th, does not include its Irish pub operation.

The removal of such products from its shelves, which has been taken across its 875-strong UK pub chain in light of an impending Brexit, will be confined to UK and Northern Irish outlets.

Specifically, according to the company, the pubs will stop serving the German herbal liqueur Jagermeister as well as French “brandies” Courvoisier VS and Hennessy Fine de Cognac from September 26th.

These will  be replaced with E&J Brandy (the number-two selling brandy in the US), Black Bottle (the top-selling brandy in Australia) and Strika, a herbal liqueur produced in England.

E&J Brandy and Strika will be available in all Wetherspoon pubs from September 26^th  while Black Bottle will be available from the start of November.

The move will result in lower prices for two million customers per week who frequent its pubs in the UK.

“The three new products will be offered at a lower price than those they are replacing,” promised Wetherspoon Founder and Chairman Tim Martin who added, “In blind-tastings conducted by Wetherspoon the new products were more popular than those they are replacing.”

The company will continue to review all its products over the next 24 months.

“Many commentators talk of a ‘cliff-edge’ if the UK ‘crashes out’ of the EU without a deal,” Tim Martin commented, “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.

“It’s important to remember that 93% of the world is outside the EU.”

Wetherspoon has already replaced Champagne with sparkling wines from the UK and Australia in its pubs as well as German wheat beers with those from the UK.