Brewery owner behind racist Facebook rant 'deeply sorry' after business partners abandon him

A brewery owner behind a racist rant in which he called Māori the scourge of New Zealand has apologised after seeing business partners desert him in droves, saying he hopes his company will be given a second chance.

In a widely circulated Facebook post, David Gaughan, the owner of Eagle Brewing and the Port & Eagle Brewpub in Kaiapoi, north of Christchurch, lashed out against Māori, calling them “New Zealand’s biggest problem”.

In the post on Wednesday, Gaughan wrote Māori “are the scurge” [sic] of New Zealand and “the quicker we put them in prison the better”. He said he was referring to the majority of Māori men, “the ones who beat their missis” [sic].

The post sparked outrage and has since been removed from Facebook.

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But the comments and public backlash saw venues and bottle stores pull the brewery’s products from their shelves, while other partners move swiftly to distance themselves from the company.

Gaughan told Stuff those businesses had “every right to do that”, and he would have done the same if he was in that situation, but said he hoped he could gain support back from his customers to help his team.

“Without a business and without sales, the business cannot continue to support these people who are working for us. I would like to think there is a second chance for the business.”

Marilyn Yosores, co-owner of Eagle Brewing and Gaughan’s partner, said in a post earlier on Friday he had resigned from the business and was remorseful about what he said.

However, Gaughan told Stuff he will be meeting with lawyers next week to discuss his future in the company, acknowledging it may take his resignation for trust to be regained.

And in a statement late on Friday he said he would be taking some time away from the business premises “to reflect on what has happened”.

“This situation is in no way a reflection on our staff, who will continue to provide the same professional service and hospitality as usual. They do not deserve any of the backlash that my comment provoked.”

In 2016, Eagle Brewing was feted as one of New Zealand’s finest craft beer makers, winning a Best in Class* award for its stout in the New World Beer & Cider Awards.

But Gaughan’s comments have had a crippling effect on the business as stockists turned against it, leaving both reputation of both the company and its owner in tatters.

Liquorland chief executive Brendon Lawry said all its stores had been instructed to remove Eagle Brewing products from its shelves. He said Gaughan’s actions were not something the company could tolerate or associate with.

Garth Peterson, director at The Beer Library in Christchurch, also said all Eagle Brewing products were immediately pulled when he became aware of the social media post.

“We were horrified at the comments made and really disappointed seeing such an attitude on display from someone in an industry that is generally fairly forward-thinking in these matters.

“All Eagle products have been pulled from our shelves and we won’t be stocking it again in the future.”

Bars in Auckland and Wellington followed suit.

“I just thought what he said was shocking and sickening, and I do not want to be associated with anyone who holds those kinds of views,” Keith Galbraith, owner of Galbraith's Alehouse in Grafton, Auckland, said.

James Curme, manager of craft beer bar Moon in Wellington, said the business did not agree with Gaughan’s views and did not want to be associated with it.

He received an apologetic message from Gaughan after informing the company he would be returning its kegs.

Beer Jerk, an online liquor shop, called Gaughan’s comments “indefensible” and said it would no longer sell Eagle Brewing products in the store.

Corporate partners have also severed ties with the company.

Canterbury Cricket Association, with which Eagle Brewing had a deal to provide drinks for fans at Hagley Oval Super Smash matches and for its logo to be on Canterbury Kings player sleeves and at the ground, said in a statement that it does not “tolerate any racist commentary”.

“We are incredibly disappointed that an individual of a company we are associated with has made these comments as they are completely contradictory to our values.

“Consequently, we are in the process of terminating our agreement with Eagle Brewing.”

Comments were ‘totally abhorrent’

Contacted by Stuff on Friday, Gaughan rowed back on the rhetoric in his comments.

Gaughan said he was “absolutely not” racist, but admitted the comments came across that way.

“I think it was just a very emotional moment for me where the wording and the way the post came together was just totally abhorrent, to put it lightly.”

The backlash he received made him “sit up and realise” the size of the issue at hand.

“Being called out, I think, has been a great thing and the New Zealand people have been absolutely right to do that.

“Calling it out has given me an opportunity to look at myself and to look at the situation and say, ‘Okay, what is going on? Why was this said?’.”

Gaughan said he did not immediately see the response to the comment, which was deleted hours after it was first posted. After re-reading his words, however, he realised how “unacceptable” the way it came across was.

In a statement on Friday, Gaughan said his post was “completely unacceptable”.

“I want to apologise unreservedly for making the comment, and for the large amount of hurt and anger it has caused, and rightly so.

“The comment was made as a result of deep-seated issues I have within myself about growing up with family violence and seeing it affect people I love. This in no way justifies what I said.

“I have come to understand that I need to look at the changes I can make to unlearn and relearn, so I can gain a better cultural understanding in the place that I feel privileged to call my home.”

He thanked those who reached out including organisations such as She is not your rehab, who he would be working with on “this new journey of understanding” as well as his Māori friends who had “encouraged open dialogue with aroha to create a deeper understanding”.

“Again, I am deeply sorry, and I will do everything in my power to learn, grow and make this right.”

In another post, Yosores said Gaughan “had a few drinks” and was reading an article regarding violence against women when he made the post.

“The post was not intended to be an attack on Māori, merely intending to highlight that Māori women featured highly in these statistics,” the post read.

Gaughan said he made the post following a day of staff training. The team had finished the day with a few drinks but he was not intoxicated “by a long shot”.

He reiterated the comments stemmed from an emotional feeling based on his family history and “long seated issues that I’ve been, probably, hiding away”.

“I think it was just a lashing out, I don’t want to see people hurt in society, I don’t want to see kids uprooted from families, It just came out in a very, very wrong way.”

Staff shocked, in disbelief

Gaughan had been in touch with several of his staff throughout the day on Friday to discuss how they were feeling about the situation.

He said many conversations with them have been around “the shock and the disbelief” around the situation.

“They all know me as a very different person,” he told Stuff.

He said people who had gone into the Christchurch shopfront with “heated feelings” were “rightly so”.

Correction: An earlier version incorrectly stated Eagle Brewing also won 40 gold medals. (Amended 8.40am May 15)