Bundobust co-founder wants hospitality business to stop using 'Russian' vodka

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

The co-founder of Bundobust has called upon hospitality owners to stop using Russian vodka. Marko Husak, who is of Ukrainian origin and who has relatives still in the major cities as invading Russian forces advance, said that the move is about ‘chipping away’ piece by piece at the state economy.

Brands like Stolichnaya and Russian Standard are among the most prominent Russian brands, and though produced and bottled outside Russia, proceeds from the trademarks will still filter back to the state. “We’ve never sold Russian vodka, but when Russia invaded Ukraine, I thought it would be a good opportunity to spread a message to others in hospitality not to sell it either,” he told the Manchester Evening News. “Some of these brands are state owned, some are owned by oligarchs, and in a sense I feel like this is part of the chipping away. “F1 has been cancelled, Russian teams now not allowed to play football in international competition, sanctions against oligarchs. “If wholesalers stop importing or selling Russian vodka, which is a massive export for the Russian economy, then again, it’s another thing that hurts their economy. “Everything that punished the Russian economy can make a difference.

Plus it’s not very good anyway. I wouldn’t clean my toilet with that stuff, and you can quote me on that!” He's not the only hospitality operator to make the move.

Martin Wolstencroft, CEO of Arc Inspirations which runs the Manhatta, Box and Banyan bar brands said last week: "As the situation in Ukraine continues to unfold, we have decided to take a stand and have stopped pouring Russian vodka at bars across our venues. "Putting people at the heart of our business is what we do.