London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 09, 2026

Supermarkets remove Russian vodka from shelves

Supermarkets remove Russian vodka from shelves

Sainsbury's, Aldi, Asda and Waitrose have all announced they will axe Russian products amid the war in Ukraine.

Sainsbury's will remove Russian Standard vodka and Karpayskiye black sunflower seeds from its shelves.

Waitrose, which is part of the John Lewis Partnership, will no longer sell Russian vodka either.

Asda's announcement will apply to about 100 products - mostly spirits, but also includes fish and some sweets.

The supermarkets follow moves from the likes of Morrisons and Co-op, which said on Thursday that they would withdraw Russian-made vodka from sale.

Sainsbury's said it would also change the name of chicken Kiev to "chicken Kyiv" to match the Ukrainian spelling of the capital.

A spokesperson for Britain's second-biggest supermarket said: "We stand united with the people of Ukraine.

"We have reviewed our product range and have decided to remove from sale all products that are 100% sourced from Russia."

Mohsin Issa, Asda's co-owner, said: "We stand with our customers and colleagues who are shocked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine - and our thoughts are with those people whose lives are affected by this crisis."

Meanwhile, the John Lewis Partnership said that it would also remove a line of Russian-made pizza oven pellets from sale in its department stores.

"We're working with our suppliers to review products that have components of Russian origin and will be seeking to mitigate further exposure to the region," a spokesperson said.

The Co-op, the first supermarket chain to announce such a move on Thursday, said that its decision was "a sign of solidarity with the people of Ukraine".

It took Russian Standard vodka off sale with immediate effect as it is "overtly marketed as being Russian" and is produced in the country, a spokesperson for the Co-op said.

Sainsbury's confirmed on Friday that it would, however, continue to sell JJ Whitley vodka products, after the manufacturer said it planned to move all production away from St Petersburg to Chorley in Lancashire.

"We support their announcement earlier in the week that they are moving all production to Chorley in the UK by the end of this month and will therefore continue to sell those products," it said.

According to reports in the Daily Telegraph newspaper, Tesco is also considering renaming chicken Kiev to match the Ukrainian spelling of the capital city Kyiv.

It has not yet confirmed whether or not it will remove Russian-sourced products, but has said previously it is following UK government rules on trading with the country.

Elsewhere, other supermarkets in Europe have also taken action. The Netto discount chain has already stopped selling Russian products across its stores Germany, Poland and Denmark.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Merz Rebukes AfD Expansion in Saxony-Anhalt
Compass Urges £10 Million Wealth Tax and Public Ownership Ahead of UK Autumn Budget
UK Government’s Devolution Plans Face House of Lords Scrutiny
Maldives Seeks New Chagos Sovereignty Talks With UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham
UK Airports Face Continuing Disruption After National Air Traffic Control Failure
UK Bans Imports From Israeli Settlements and Expands Sanctions on Iran
British Chambers of Commerce Forecasts UK Growth of 1% as Investment Remains Weak
UK Suspends Local Government Reorganisation Decisions and Cancels Planned Shadow Authority Polls
UK Parliament Opens Inquiry Into Gaps in Climate Change Preparedness
Andy Burnham and Xi Jinping Hold Talks on Trade, Security and British Consular Cases
UK Joins France, Canada and Other Nations in Measures Against Israeli West Bank Settlements
UK Announces New Sanctions Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Networks
British Chambers of Commerce Calls for Business Rate Reform and Productivity Support
UK Farmers Warn Dry Summer Could Reduce Crop Yields and Push Up Food Prices
UK Rail Networks Hit by Widespread Delays After Major Signalling Failures
Matt Clifford Resigns as ARIA Chair After Conflict-of-Interest Scrutiny
UK and France Say Joint Border Operations Have Prevented More Than 48,000 Irregular Channel Crossings
UK Core Inflation Remains Above Expectations as Utility and Commodity Costs Stay Elevated
Jaguar Land Rover Considers Up to 4,000 UK Job Cuts Amid Automotive Industry Pressure
UK Government Pauses Local Authority Reorganisation for Legal Review
UK Public Borrowing Reaches £1.8 Billion in July, Adding Pressure Before Autumn Budget
Chancellor John Healey Puts Regional Devolution and Fiscal Discipline at Heart of UK Growth Plan
Counter-Terrorism Police Lead Salford Investigation After Two Teenagers Charged
UK Rejects Financial Reparations for Transatlantic Slavery
UK and Egypt Step Up Diplomacy Over Escalating West Bank Tensions
UK Pauses Council Reorganisation Across Four English Counties
Jaguar Land Rover Plans 4,000 Job Cuts in Major UK Restructuring
UK Unveils Planning and Regulatory Overhaul to Speed Infrastructure and Economic Growth
University of Bristol Opens £500 Million Innovation Campus
Families Give Evidence to Independent Review of Sussex Maternity Failures
Sweden Confirms Deportation of 458 British Citizens Over Post-Brexit Residency Rules
UK Launches £3 Million Challenge for Long-Duration Energy Storage
Reform UK Proposes £100 Billion in Spending Cuts and Brownfield Deregulation
Andy Burnham Warns Macron That EU Procurement Rules Could Hurt British Steel
Andy Burnham Faces Major Decision on Future North Sea Oil and Gas Drilling
SEND Support in England Projected to Reach One in 10 Pupils
England’s Housing Courts Struggle With Surge in No-Fault Eviction Cases
Violent Clashes Erupt in Portsmouth During Protest Against Asylum Processing
Three-Quarters of NHS Emergency Staff Report Regular Violence or Aggression
UK Considers Converting Female Prison Space for Male Inmates as Overcrowding Worsens
UK House Prices Record First Annual Decline in Nearly Three Years
UK Government Reassesses Policy Toward Israel Amid Calls for Diplomatic Shift
Reform UK Faces Police Scrutiny Over Alleged Foreign Donations Scheme
University of Bristol Opens £500 Million Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus
Online Bookmakers Accused of Privacy Breaches Through Cookie Consent Practices
Health Campaigners Urge UK Government to Abandon U.S. Pharmaceutical Agreement
Three-Quarters of UK A&E Staff Report Regular Violence or Aggression
Far-Right Demonstrations Target Portsmouth as Small-Boat Crossings Fuel Tensions
UK Records Hottest Summer on Record After Severe Heatwaves
UK Travellers Face Renewed EU Border Delays as Temporary Flexibility Ends
×