Ever thought of opening your own restaurant or pub?
It’s a dream that many hold: running a pub or restaurant – whether it’s an ultra-modern gastro pub, a cosy inn with a log burner, or a top of the range eatery. However, for many, the first stumbling block for any business wanting to sell alcohol can be the licensing procedures.
Here, Flogas, who specialise in business gas, have broken down some of the key points:
General rules
If you’re opening or running a business in England and Wales that is going to sell or supply alcoholic drinks, you must have a licence that has been authorised by the licensing authority. This is usually a local council and the legislation is overseen by the Home Office. It is defined 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.
Alongside the payment that’s required, you’ll also have to complete an application form and send it to your 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:
- Local fire and rescue
- The primary care trust (PCT) or local health board (LHB)
- Environmental health authority
- Planning authority
- Local trading standards
- Any other licensing authority in whose area part of the premises is located.
Premises licences
This licence, simply put, authorises the use of any premises for any activities that involve the sale of alcohol. To successfully apply for this licence, you will have to provide the following information:
- General information regarding the premises such as the address.
- Your details as an applicant.
- The operating schedule, including the date you want the licence to start from on the premises.
- You should indicate what licensable activities you wish to carry out by ticking the appropriate boxes on the form. 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).
- The opening hours of your premises.
- How you intend to promote the four key licensing objectives, which are: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, the protection of children from harm.
- The planning of the premises and any advertising on or around the premises that you wish to use.
Personal licences
In a pub, your general staff aren’t required to hold a personal licence, but it is necessary that all pubs do have to have a premises supervisor that holds a personal licence.
You would also need to apply to be a personal licence holder if the pub was your own business. Furthermore, anyone who works in a pub should be authorised to do so by the personal licence holder.
But note, it’s important to take into consideration before applying that anyone running or managing a pub or restaurant should do so in a professional fashion.
With the information provided, you should now know all you need to get started with your application in the hope that one day you’ll be pouring the pints in your own pub or eatery — cheers!
