A number of British supermarkets have announced they will be pulling Russian-made vodkas from their shelves in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, following the country’s invasion.
Over the weekend, Sainsbury's and British retailer John Lewis and Partners, who own Waitrose, announced they will be pulling Russian-produced stock from their shelves.
Here are all of the supermarkets that have announced changes to their stockists in light of current global events.
Tesco
Image: WikiCommons
On Sunday, Tesco announced that they would not be purchasing products from Russia foreseeable future. A spokesperson said that the supermarket would stop "buying products from businesses that are wholly Russian owned”.
The supermarket has become the latest in the industry to remove products like Russian vodka from sale.
Sainsbury's
Image: WikiCommons
Following the mass cull of Russian products, Sainsbury's became the latest supermarket to remove Russian vodka and other products produced in the country from sale.
The Independent reported that that supermarket stood "united with the people of Ukraine" and decided to remove all products that are "100% sourced from Russia".
This means that Russian Standard vodka and Karpayskiye black sunflower seeds have been removed from sale for the forseeable future.
Waitrose and Partners
Image: WikiCommons
British retailers John Lewis and Waitrose announced that they would no longer sell products made in Russia, beginning with the removal of Russian vodka and a line of pizza oven pellets.
The partnership is currently reviewing products that have 'components of Russian origin' to find out what else should be removed from their shelves, Reuters have reported.
Aldi
According to reports, Aldi has also made the decision to remove Russian-sourced vodka from its shelves. It is unclear whether other products will be removed in the future.
Asda
Image: WikiCommons
Reuters released an announcement that Asda would also be withdrawing Russian products from general sale.
The statement read: "Britain’s Asda has followed other UK supermarket groups in removing products originating from Russia from its stores and online following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine."
According to the BBC, Asda's announcement means that around 100 products will be removed from their stores. The list contains mostly spirits, but does also include fish and some sweet brands too.
Morrisons
Image: WikiCommons
Last week, Morrison’s announced it had delisted Russian Standard vodka and will no longer be selling the brand for the foreseeable future.
Other vodkas not made in Russia, such as Swedish Absolut, Latvian Stoli (formerly made in the Soviet Union but no longer tied to Russia), and British-owned Smirnoff, are not affected by the decision.
A spokesperson for Morrison’s said: “We have taken action on our vodka lines including de-listing Russian Standard. The product is longer available on our website and no further stock will be bought.”
The move by Co-op and Morrison’s follows similar decisions made across the hospitality industry in recent days, which has seen the prominent Northern bar group Arc Inspirations pull Russian-made vodka from shelves at its venues BOX, Banyan and Manahatta.
Co-op
Image: WikiCommons
A spokesperson for the Co-op said: “In response to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces and as a sign of solidarity with the people of Ukraine we’ve taken the decision to remove from sale Russian-made vodka.”
They added that the decision was taken due to the fact that the brand was “overtly marketed as being Russian” and is produced in the country.
Marks and Spencers
Image: WikiCommons
Marks and Spencers has halted all shipments to its Russian franchise stores, most of which are based in Moscow and operated by Turkish franchise partners, leaving shelves empty in 40 shops across the country.
As the conflict wages on, there continues to be a commercial and cultural backlash against the shocking invasion from across the West as corporations and event organisers intensify state sanctions imposed by the British government and its NATO allies.
Bars and Restaurants
Image: WikiCommons
Wetherspoons also joined in this week, making the announcement that it would no longer sell Russian beer ‘in light of the current situation’.
Wetherspoons has since removed Russian lager Baltika from all 870 of its UK pubs, sending any stock they had previously ordered back to the distributor.
The beer is produced in St Petersburg, which just so happens to be the birthplace of Russian aggressor and dictator Vladimir Putin – who has recently launched a full-scale invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.
“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.”
Arc Inspirations, owners of Leeds-based bars Manahatta, Banyan and The Box, also banned the use of Russian vodka across their venues.
Arc said: “To show our support to the people of Ukraine we will no longer be pouring any Russian vodka in any of our bars.”
They said: “We cannot remain neutral while our friends in Kyiv are under attack by a dictator’s army with no basis in international law and no protection of human rights.
Bundobust co-founder Marko Husak has also urged people to follow in Arc Inspiration’s footsteps by banning products.
I’ve had quite a few messages from my colleagues in the restaurant, bar and beer industries asking if there is anything that they can do to help, so I’ve suggested that they can help by stop stocking Russian products. pic.twitter.com/OftnuQOjai
He posted: “I’ve had quite a few messages from my colleagues in the restaurant, bar and beer industries asking if there is anything that they can do to help, so I’ve suggested that they can help by stop stocking Russian products.
Thai favourite Giggling Squid launched a brand-new menu exclusive to the city- and celebrated with a huge party.
Known for its beautiful colourful interiors, tropical-inspired decor and a menu packed with fragrant Thai favourites, Giggling Squid is bringing a proper little taste of Thailand to Leeds.
And the best part? They've now brought a city-exclusive set menu for us to get stuck into.
Priced at just £31.95 per person for two courses and a drink, or £37.95 per person for three courses and a drink, the new menu is all about getting stuck into a proper feast in true Thai fashion.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Things kick off with a choice of appetisers for the table, including prawn crackers or chilli chickpeas, the perfect way to settle into your meal.
Starters then include spicy popcorn chicken, prawn and squid lettuce cups, vegetable spring rolls and salt and pepper squid - so there's plenty of options whether you're after something fresh, crispy or with a bit of a kick.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
For mains, you can opt Thai green curry served with jasmine rice, cashew stir fry and spicy crispy pork belly.
Or, if you're a noodle lover, get slurping the yellow tamarind duck noodles or keep it classic with a pad Thai stuffed to the brim with your choice of chicken, prawn or vegetable.
And, of course, no Thai feast would be complete without something sweet to finish.
Dessert options include apple pie spring rolls, coconut pudding with mango lime sauce and Mother-in-Law's chocolate mousse.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Drinks wise you can choose any soft drink, small beer or a glass of house wine and that's all included in the brilliant price, how good is that?
To celebrate the menu, The Giggling Squid hosted a launch that transported diners to the bustling streets of Bangkok on Park Row.
We're talking free canapés, cocktails, giveaways, a DJ set from Leeds' very own DJ Dman and of course, a goodie bag for guests to take home with them.
The set menu is available until 8 November, Monday - Sunday from 4pm until close.
Sound up your street? You can book in for the all-new set menu at Giggling Squid Leeds here.
Featured image - The Hoot Leeds
Leeds
10 brilliant new bars, restaurants and cafes that have opened in Leeds recently
Clementine Hall
Leeds has welcomed a whole host of new places to eat and drink recently, and there’s a lot to get excited about.
We all love our food and drink, and it's safe to say we love writing about it.
So please, allow us to indulge by telling you all about our top 10 favourite new openings that have popped up in and around Leeds over the past few months.
But fair warning, continuing to read on may cause extreme hunger...
Rotisserie Club
22 Wellington Street, LS1 4EA
Images: The Hoot Leeds
A new rotisserie chicken spot has landed in the city centre, serving everything from full and half roasted birds all served with their crispy house dripping roasties, as well as viral chicken Caesar wraps and rice bowls.
Dip or drench your chicken in their range of sauces and you’ve got yourself something worth licking your fingers over.
From the team behind Domino Club and Roland's comes Paper Plane, your newest cocktail bar that is a love letter to an analogue time where everything was made by hand.
The interior is inspired by 1970s Hollywood and Japanese listening bars complete with music played exclusively on vinyl to match, and the menu is perfectly curated, coming alongside its own martini menu served straight from the freezer.
After multiple pop-ups around the city, Acai Social Club has finally found a permanent home in Leeds, meaning getting your acai bowl fix is about to get a whole lot easier.
And the best bit? Unlimited toppings. There's also matcha, coffee and smoothies on the menu, plus new toppings dropping every week to keep things interesting.
Tahin
10 Kirkgate, LS1 6BY
Images: The Hoot Leeds
One of the city’s favourite Turkish takeaways is back in the city and we couldn’t be happier for their return.
Formerly located in The Core, Tahiis a family-run takeaway that is whipping up the freshest dishes for you to eat on-the-go. Even at 4pm they’ve got queues out the door for authentic Turkish flatbreads Pide, Za’atar, Shawarma and more.
With fresh chicken and lamb ready to be shaved, warm, welcoming faces to greet you and prices you just can’t turn down because most dishes are under a tenner.
Alfonso's Deli
New Road Side, Horsforth, LS18 4QD
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Famed for its toasted Cuban sandwiches, coffee and stacked deli subs, Alfonso's Deli has made a name for itself for serving some of the best sandwiches in the city.
And now they’ve opened a second site in the suburbs with Horsforth providing all the good stuff we know and love it for, plus fresh bakes which they’re making downstairs - oh, and you can also get yourself a cigar.
If you don’t know about Burgerism then get to know. The cult burger brand is famed over in the North West for their juicy, crunchy-around-the-edges smash burgers and now they’ve brought them to Meanwood.
Rizia's Bottega
114 Bolling Rd, Ben Rhydding, Ilkley LS29 8PN
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Rizia's Bottega, on Bolling Road on the outskirts of Ilkley, officially opened at the end of August following a soft launch, serving authentic schiacciata sandwiches, colourful salads, and light Sicilian breakfasts.
The new neighbourhood spot comes from the team behind Ilkley favourite Emporio Italia and has been created as somewhere locals can pop in for their morning coffee, sit down for a bite to eat, or pick up some high-quality Italian treats to enjoy at home.
One of Manchester’s most popular brunch spots, which always has queues down the street, has made its way across to Leeds at last.
Bruncho has opened on The Headrow, bringing its hit products like French toasts, Middle Eastern brunches, and iced matchas, to Leeds city centre.
Bruncho has also made a name for itself with its viral creations, including Labubu Dubai pistachio French toast (how many 2025 buzzwords can you get in one menu item?) and its collection of drinks served at -86°C. We're sure that their weird and wonderful creations will go down just as well here in Leeds.
Vietnamese powerhouse Pho opened a permanent spot on Boar Lane and it's serving up the likes of beef brisket pho, crispy spring rolls, three meat combo rice bowls, and chicken curries - yum.
Mandy's Barbecue
3 Sheaf St, Leeds LS10 1HD
Images: The Hoot Leeds
A new Yorkshire barbecue spot has taken over the kitchen at The Attic near Aire Park serving up sourdough sarnies by day, with fillings cooked over fire. Expect your lunchtime to be levelled up with BBQ rump steak, Korean chicken and plenty of other local produce on the menu. Then, come evening, things switch up with small plates - including jerk mackerel, BBQ sirloin with kimchi, and lamb neck.
The Hoot -
7th March 2022 
