Wetherspoons has become the latest hospitality business to announce it will no longer be selling drinks produced in Russia.
The pub chain said that bottles of Baltika Lager have now been removed from its 870 pubs.
The beer is brewed in St Petersburg, the birthplace of Vladimir Putin, who has launched a full-scale invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.
The drinks are now being returned to the distributor.
A Wetherspoon pub in Manchester city centre. Credit: Unsplash
Northern bar group Arc Inspirations, which operates Box Bar, Manahatta and Banyan, said last week that it would be dropped all Russian-produced vodka from its bars.
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Russia has also been banned from competing in several major sporting events.
J.D. Wetherspoon said in a statement: “In light of the situation in Ukraine we just felt that we could not stock it anymore.
“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.”
Featured image: J.D. Wetherspoon
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Wayne Rooney expresses interest in joining Manchester United’s coaching staff
Danny Jones
In another unexpected twist in the Manchester United manager saga, club legend Wayne Rooney has expressed interest in returning to the club and potentially joining their coaching staff.
He becomes one of half a dozen different former players to have been linked with either the top job or a backroom role following Ruben Amorim’s departure.
Speaking on his self-titled BBC podcast, the retired Premier League icon turned coach and now pundit, didn’t hesitate when asked about the prospect, simply replying: “of course I would” – dubbing the decision as “a no-brainer.”
"Of course I would!"
Wayne Rooney wouldn't think twice about joining Michael Carrick's staff at Manchester United if an offer arrived. pic.twitter.com/nGEAugQjHH
Rooney’s last coaching job was that of Plymouth Argyle manager, which ended in December 2024 following a run of poor results, much like his time at Birmingham City earlier that year.
Since then, he’s bounced around between punditry and broadcasting, serving as a guest on the likes of The Overlap with his old teammates and peers, as well as now co-hosting his own aforementioned pod, The Wayne Rooney Show.
However, the 40-year-old has always insisted that he still wants a future in coaching, and while it may not have worked as a full-time first-team boss just yet, perhaps more of an assistant position or more specific post (maybe training the forwards as Benni McCarthy did) could be a better fit for now.
‘Wazza’ admitted that, even despite having been on holiday with Carrick “last week”, no one could have expected this situation to have emerged, and certainly not this quick a turnaround.
Moreover, Rooney insisted that rather than preferring any particular person for the next United manager or to join the wider coaching staff, he simply believes that they need “people who know the club” inside and out.
He isn’t the first to have accused the global sporting franchise of losing its ‘identity’ in the years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, and many seem to believe that getting in familiar faces who were at the club during its heyday could help resolve that issue.
This was obviously pretty much the thinking when Ole Gunnar Solskjær not only became interim head coach but got the job on a permanent basis after they began looking more like the confident, attacking teams of old and like they were enjoying their football again. Though we all know how it ended.
Carrick certainly received a good amount of praise during his time at Middlesbrough, and while his time there didn’t end perfectly, either – parting ways after missing out on the playoff spots once again – there seems to be a belief that he, whether flanked by others or not, is the right choice for United at this time.
Once again, there is talk of current temporary caretaker Darren Fletcher remaining with the first team in some capacity rather than simply returning straight to the under-18s, but only time will tell who will be involved. Nevertheless, it now looks nailed on that Carrick will be in the dugout for the derby day.
Manchester Airport launches HUGE January sale with up to 40% off travel essentials
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Airport is kicking off the new year with a huge January sale, and there’s loads of savings to make the most of.
2026 is here, and with January often being considered one of the least-favourite months of the year, many people will be dreaming of their next holiday and planning when they’re next going to jet off on their travels, which is why Manchester Airport has decided to launch a big January sale – with up to 40% off on travel ‘essentials’.
Unfortunately, we wish it was… but one of those ‘essentials’ isn’t actually the flights themselves.
While you won’t be able to bag a couple of quid off the flight to your next holiday, tourists will be able to save on a range of other travel services instead, as after all, the journey is just as important as the destination.
We’re talking savings on parking places, airport lounges, FastTrack security checks, and even a private terminal to fly from.
When it comes to parking, you can get 15% off T2 Multi Storey West and T2 Meet & Greet, and 25% off all other parking locations for arrivals until 30 April 2026, as well as 15% off all parking locations for arrivals from 1 May until 31 August 2026.
To make your airport experience that little bit more stress-free, you can now get 40% off FastTrack Security for all arrivals until 31 December 2027.
You can get 20% off T1 & T3 Escape Lounges, and 10% off T2 Escape Lounges for all arrivals until 31 March 2027, and if you want to add some luxury to your airport experience, then you can even get 30% off at aether when you spend £400 or more on travel between 1 April 2026 until 30 September 2026.
Many of the offers just mentioned cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer and are subject to availability too, so make sure you don’t get caught out.
Fancy booking a trip then? You can find out more information about Manchester Airport’s January Sale 2026, and book online here.
Daisy Jackson -
3rd March 2022 
