Alcohol License for a Cafe

[Eliza_J]

Good morning folks! Quick one I hope, does anyone know approximate cost and process to gain a license to serve beer and wine in the evenings in my coffee shop? Will also serve some small snacks etc but not full meals.

Many Thanks! Elizabet

 

[antoine82]

Try do it in advance since it is quite a long process.

You first to get a personal license which is granted by the council where you live. For this you need to pass an (easy) exam but you need to pay for it via a private learning company (around £150).

Then you pay for your criminal record check (something like £35) and for the application of the personal license (cost depends on the council, usually around £40). Then you need to wait to have your personal license (in tower hamlets it took 2 months!).

You can then apply for a premises license which means sending application forms to lost of different services (health and safety, fire, police...) with quality drawings (up to you to hire someone to do it but it will cost you), information o the business and the application fee. Again something like £40. You also need to advertise in the local news papers. In london, around £300.

If you want you can hire someone to deal with this whole mess but it will cost twice the price.

hope it helps

 

[Steve Sellers]

Hi Elizabeth,

From my website:

To apply for an alcohol premises licence you must:

1. Send completed premises licence application form to the relevant local authority;
2. Send copies of completed application form to other 'relevant bodies';
3. Supply a plan of the premises in the prescribed form;
4. Have the consent of someone to act as premises supervisor (this person must hold a relevant qualification and either hold a personal licence or agree to apply for one);
5. Applications must be advertised in the local newspaper and within the premises for a set period of time.

Your largest costs will be the application itself (price will vary depending on floor size of your premises) and the cost of advertising the application. Most of the other costs would be admin and postage costs.

If you haven't already you will also have to get your personal licence which will meaning a days training with an exam at the end, then the cost of the application and the cost of a criminal records check.

As regards your criminal records check I would recommend using Disclosure Scotland - much faster.

PS - If you have enough information in your application, and cover how you will meet the licensing objectives in sufficient detail then you should be able to get your licence in the hand within 6 weeks of applying (assuming there are no objections by members of the public & interested bodies)

 

[Fay1]

Hi, thanx for info on License costs etc, very helpful. Once you have the license How long does it last?

 

[Fay1]

Thanx for info guys, very helpfull . Just wondered though how long is the license valid for once you have it?

 

[LR Law]

A Premises Licence normally lasts indefinitely unless it lapses through surrender, death or (most commonly) insolvency of the licence holder. There is an annual fee payable based on the rateable value of the premises which varies between £70-£350. Recently introduced provisions allow the Council to suspend the licence if the annual fee is not paid.

 

[top-tastic]

We run a busy coffee shop which was originally a bar. We took on license, but had to get my partners name above the door, and had to do everything that everyone else has stated.
It took us around 6 weeks to get the license changed into my partners name, so to apply for a completely new license will take at least a few months. So apply now, and the great thing is, once you have it you can serve drinks during the day to customers who want a beer or wine over lunch.
Hope this helps

 

[PaulHeas]

We have two small restaurants with a personal license holder about to leave one. Do you need a personal holder at both sites or could one site act as DPS for the other?
Thanks
Paul

 

[Boyce]

We have two small restaurants with a personal license holder about to leave one. Do you need a personal holder at both sites or could one site act as DPS for the other?
Thanks
Paul

Really you'd need to speak to your local licensing officer. I would imagine it would be okay on a temporary basis but on a permanent basis you'd need a separate DPS for each site to fulfil the role properly - i.e. authorising the sale of alcohol by non-license holders, supervising the operation of the premises and being the point of contact for any licensing related issues.

I'd be surprised if a licensee would be happy supervising two premises anyway - if it were me I'd want to personally ensure the staff at each site had had proper challenge 25 training certainly!