HAVE YOU EVER DREAMED OF OWNING YOUR OWN PUB, HOTEL OR POP-UP BAR? WE DON’T MIND ADMITTING THAT HERE AT HIS & HERS WE’VE BEEN KNOWN TO INDULGE IN THAT FANTASY DURING PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING DEADLINES!
Maybe you’re looking to open a venue and want to offer a great selection of booze. Or maybe you’re a North West retailer selling Liverpool’s finest gin like Steph Bannister of Scouse Bird Blogs.
Whatever the goal, if you want to sell alcohol as part of your business plans, you’re going to need a licence.
Alcohol licensing requirements can look tricky to anyone thinking of starting their own business. If you’re curious though, His & Hers has joined forces with Flogas, a UK gas installation supplier for businesses, to bring you the following short guide.
An overview
If you’re based in England or Wales, and want to sell or supply alcohol, then you must have a licence to do so. This is authorised by the licensing authority in the area, which is usually your local council. This legislation is overseen by the Home Office, and is defined is as follows:
- Businesses that sell or supply alcohol on a permanent basis, such as pubs, need to apply for a premises licence.
- Those who plan to authorise the sale of alcohol must apply for a personal licence, alongside the premises licence, if they are also the owner of the business in that premises.
Next steps are filling out an application form and then paying a fee to the local council. As well as the local authority, you will also have to send your application to the police and other responsible authorities; these responsible authorities can include:
- The primary care trust (PCT) or local health board (LHB)
- Local trading standards
- Planning authority
- Environmental health authority
- Local fire and rescue
- Any other licensing authority in whose area part of the premises is located.
What about premises?
Alcohol sales within any premises are covered by this licence. Premises are defined as a vehicle, vessel, or moveable structure. To successfully apply for this licence, you will be asked a series of questions including the following:
- Overall information concerning the premises, like the address.
- Your details as an applicant.
- The operating schedule, including the date you want the licence to begin.
- Licensable activities you plan to undertake. You should also indicate what days and times you want the licence to be active from. This also includes the provision of regulated entertainment, such as indoor sporting events, live music and recorded music.
- Under the new licensing laws, you should also stipulate who you wish to be the designated premises supervisor (DPS).
- Your business’ opening hours.
- How you intend to encourage the four key licensing objectives, which are: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the protection of children from harm, the prevention of public nuisance.
- The planning of the premises and any marketing on or around the premises that you wish to use.
Info for the business owner
It might seem obvious but in, for example, a pub setting, your staff don’t need a personal licence, but your pub does need to have a personal licence-holding premises supervisor.
If you’re planning to be the owners of the premises licence, then you also need to be the personal licence holder if the business is yours too. Furthermore, anyone who works in a pub should be authorised to do so by the personal licence holder.
Before applying for this licence, be aware that it is designed to make sure that anyone managing or running the pub is doing so professionally.
Now you know what you need, it’s time for you to get the ball rolling and apply for your alcohol licence! Then you can have a celebratory drink!
For related features, please pay a visit to our lifestyle page.
