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‘Britain’s wokest’ pub bans Thatcher’s, Heineken, Bacardi and Coke

Bosses have cited links to the slave trade, improper land and water use and human rights concerns as reasons for various bans

Georgina Pellant - 18th February 2022

A Bristolian pub has been branded the wokest in Britain after its boss made the choice to ban a number of popular drinks from being sold inside.

The landlord at The Red Lion in Bristol, known only as Lemmy, has moved to restrict the sale of Thatcher's cider, Heineken, Coca Cola and Barcadi - citing links to the slave trade, improper land and water use and human rights concerns.

Hid decision follows a campaign launched in the city last week to boycott Thatcher's, the Somerset cider makers, after a local activist group revealed its director and fourth-generation cider-maker was a member of a society with deep links to 17th-century slaver Edward Colston.

After this news came to light, The Red Lion boss said it would be ‘hypocritical’ to continue selling the cider - adding that its quality had also deteriorated since the start of the pandemic.

He then also made the decision to ban Heineken beers, Coca Cola and Bacardi as the companies behind these products are also accused of maintaining unethical production practises around the globe.

Criticism of the pub has come in thick and fast from culture warriors online, but bosses are sticking to their morals on this one.

Landlord Lemmy has since spoken out, telling the South West News Service.: ‘We have taken what we consider to be an ethical stance — it’s part of who we all are.

‘We have been labelled “woke” and all these weaponised words, which have made us feel pretty vulnerable.’

“When we have taken the stance which we believe is ethical, we do not want to be made some kind of target.”

Elaborating on the pub’s decision not to sell Coca Cola and other products deemed unethical, he added: “We don’t serve Coca-Cola because they have a history of seriously bad use of water in third-world countries,” 

The pub also does not sell Polish lager Tyskie, because of the company’s apparent links with the anti-LGBTQ movement.

It emerged earlier this month that Thatcher’s cider director and fourth-generation cider-maker Martin Thatcher has been a member of a merchants’ society with deep links to slave trader Edward Colston since 2012.

Bristolian activist group Countering Colston launched the boycott-Thatcher’s campaign last week in protest at the Society of the Merchant Venturers (SMV’s) deep links with Bristol’s historical slave trade.

They tweeted: “Martin Thatcher, director of the company, is a member of the Society of the Merchant Venturers.

“The SMV has deep roots in the historical slave trade in Bristol, and its members were responsible for the suffering and death of tens of thousands of human beings.

“They are a powerful unelected elite who have significant influence on political and civic life in Bristol.”

Feature image – Google