Palestinian microbrewery Taybeh Brewing Co has secured a listing with Co-op, with the retailer set to stock a new lager it has created in partnership with Brewgooder.
The beer – named Sun & Stone by way of reference to “the warm climate and abundance of limestone in the Middle East” – is being brewed by Brewgooder and will be stocked in 1,600 Co-op stores from 10 September. Twelve packs of the brew will also be sold via Brewgooder’s DTC site (rsp: £27/12x330ml).
The Co-op listing comes just months after the supermarket’s members voted to end trade with Israeli businesses.
Proceeds from the sale of Sun & Stone will go to both Taybeh’s local community and the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), a charity that supports conflict-affected communities across the Middle East, including in Gaza.
Paul Gerrard, Co-op’s director of campaigns, public affairs and policy, said: “We have a longstanding legacy of supporting communities and know the positive impact co-operation can have in fostering long-term recovery in regions affected by conflict.
“The Brewgooder and Taybeh beer is such a great initiative to support economic stability and we’re proud to be able to sell the beer in our stores and donate the profits.”
Operational costs ‘soaring’ under occupation
Founded in 1994 by Nadim Khoury, father of current brewmaster Madees, alongside his brother David, Taybeh Brewing Co is based in the West Bank village of Taybeh, some 22 miles north of Jerusalem.
Presently, the brewery said it was unable to export freely “because of checkpoint delays, customs restrictions, and soaring operational costs under occupation”.
“Things are getting worse, but we’re still here, still making beer,” Madees Khoury said. “What else can we do but keep going? Our brewery provides jobs and much-needed distraction. It tells a story – it shows a side of Palestine that people do not always see.”
During the Second Intifada at the turn of the millennium, Taybeh Brewing Co had resorted to using donkeys to ship its beer past manned checkpoints, Khoury said.
“We always find a way, and this partnership with our friends at Brewgooder, which will help us provide beer to the UK, is another example of that,” she added.
Brewgooder described the launch of Sun & Stone as “the largest of its type” since AB InBev launched Chernigivske in 2022 to raise funds for the DEC’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
James Hughes, co-founder of Brewgooder, said: “When we first read about Taybeh, we were completely moved by their resilience. They’re incredible people who deserve to have their story told and their beer enjoyed around the world.
“We see this as a chance not just to stand by a brewery we admire, but to also share a perspective of Palestine that is not often seen, while helping to support humanitarian aid in Gaza and elsewhere where the suffering is unimaginably unjust.
“We’re proud to stand beside them and use our business to support theirs. Every can of this beer carries their voice further and provides essential funds to those who need it most”
The Sun & Stone launch is the latest in a series of initiatives from Brewgooder to support good causes.
Last year, it unveiled its first beer made with sustainable grain fonio as part of a push to empower smallholder farmers in west Africa.
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