Moor Beer axes Justin Hawke from the company
Bristol-based brewery Moor Beer has revealed that its former owner Justin Hawke has been “fully removed as a shareholder and director of the company.
Moor Beer began in Somerset and was bought by Hawke in 2007 before he moved production to Bristol in 2014. The brewery also has a taproom and shop in London’s Bermondsey.
Boycotts
However, despite the brewery’s popularity, in June, Hawke reportedly posted on Facebook a series of messages purported to have been calling out pro-Palestinian statements from performers at Glastonbury and his words promptly led to a widespread boycott of Moor.
Yesterday, in a statement on social media, the brewery has now addressed Hawke’s departure and its plans from hereon in. The statement assured that Hawke “no longer has any involvement in Moor beer and has not gained financially from his departure”.
Worked tirelessly
Moor outlined that “over recent weeks, a small group of local people who care deeply about our team, our beers, and Moor’s place in the Bristol community have worked tirelessly to secure this outcome”.
Partner Content
According to local reports, in a message to Left Handed Giant staff, it was stressed that Left Handed Giant had not bought Moor Beer, but that its chairman Bruce Gray would be “acting as an individual, with others, to try to get Moor back to a position of commercial viability”.
The statement explained that “Bruce Gray and Callum Bickers [of Left Handed Giant] have led this group and will form the core of the leadership team taking Moor Beer forward. They have great experience locally at Left Handed Giant, and throughout the UK beer scene over the last 20 years”.
Close to administration
The statement addressed the fact that “the business has been close to administration” and pointed out that “the road ahead is still uncertain”. But, it noted that the “immediate focus is simple: protect our team, support our suppliers, honour our debts, and keep Moor trading this month and through the challenging start to 2026”.
The brewery also insisted that, looking ahead, it would be committed to “not only to safeguarding Moor’s future, but to rebuilding it on firmer foundations” with “ethical leadership, sustainable practices, and a socially responsible approach rooted in Bristol’s independent beer culture”.
Moor concluded that it hoped that people who had enjoyed or cared about its beer in the past “can do so again”. The brewery reiterated that “Moor Beer has been a part of the fabric of the Bristol beer scene for over 20 years” and “as a team” the brewery is also committed to “doing the work required” to ensure it is here for many years to come.
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