Employees at Moor Beer are trying to repair links with local customers following a controversial social media post by owner Justin Hawke.
Justin Hawke at Moor Beer in 2018
In a post which has now been deleted, he criticised pro-Palestinian sentiments expressed by Glastonbury festival-goers, saying he was perplexed by their hypocrisy.
They were reacting to chants of ‘death to the IDF’, made by Pascal Robinson-Foster, of punk-rap duo Bob Vylan, during their Glastonbury performance on Saturday.
Hawke posted that critics of Robinson-Foster “should have been there on October 7″, referring to the Hamas attack on Israel that lit the touch paper of conflict, including at a music festival. “Perhaps we should have let Hamas repeat at Glastonbury? Then you’d be begging the IDF to save you,” Hawke wrote.
Both businesses and drinkers have been criticising Hawke on social media, with many saying they will boycott his brand. Bristol arts venue Exchange said it would be selling off its stock of Moor beer, with £1 from each can donated to a charity, MAP, working for the health and dignity of Palestinians living under occupation and as refugees.
On social media yesterday, those running the Moor account wrote: “To be clear, Moor Beer were shocked to see Justin’s post yesterday, which he deeply regrets.
“As a small, employee-owned company, everyone, including Justin, want there to be no doubt that we do not support genocide or the atrocities taking place in the Middle East, and are deeply sorry for any offence caused. If you know us all as people, you would know that this would never be our position. If you are finding out about us for the first time we want to emphasise that this is not at all what we stand for.
“Many of you will have been to gigs and events we’ve put on at our venues over the last 18 years, and seen that we are a place of love and support for all people and groups, and hope that your experiences here reflect that. In beer and music we have done our best to bring people together, regardless of backgrounds, as our gig rosters and brewing partners testify. We do not condone hate speech or exclusion of any kind. We are sorry for any hurt caused, and deeply regret any harm done.
“Moor Beer is more than just one person and we don’t want the actions of one to negatively impact the team, which have been incredibly dedicated and hard working for many years.
“Justin hasn’t been involved in the hands-on day-to-day operations or communications for some time. He will be issuing a personal apology; he is deeply sorry for the pain he has caused, both to his friends and Moor Beer. We would greatly appreciate your understanding and continued support of the wider team for all of the great things we wish to continue to do for you and our communities.”
