Running a bar at a private function
Discussion
Need advice please from anyone who a) understand licensing laws, or b) is a creative thinker.
We are organising a private (charity) function next month. The village hall is licensed to sell alcohol and the pub next door usually run a mobile bar. But, because function is for charity we thought "selling" our own cans & glasses of wine etc would create a bigger margin. We are selling tickets for the function in advance to only people connected with the charity (no sales on the night).
Have we got any chance of being able to run our own?
Andy
I run our village festival each year and do exactly that.
Buy tins in bulk from Tesco/Asda etc.
As for licensing, you need to check the extent of the hall's existing one. Easy enough to apply for a temporay one. Contact the local magistrates court. I think the fee's gone up (used to be £10).
As for stock, experience suggests the following:
65% Lager
35% Bitter
Red wine (boxes)
White wine (boxes)
Coke
Lemonade
Don't touch spirits!
A couple of buckets of pre-made Pimms also goes down well!
Good luck.
Buy tins in bulk from Tesco/Asda etc.
As for licensing, you need to check the extent of the hall's existing one. Easy enough to apply for a temporay one. Contact the local magistrates court. I think the fee's gone up (used to be £10).
As for stock, experience suggests the following:
65% Lager
35% Bitter
Red wine (boxes)
White wine (boxes)
Coke
Lemonade
Don't touch spirits!
A couple of buckets of pre-made Pimms also goes down well!
Good luck.
If needed, We would gladly supply a free website (including domain name, hosting etc) as long as the charity is worthwile ( ie not unwanted fair ground goldfish in need of a loving bowl) and you feel a website would be beneficial to the cause. No catches no strings just doing our bit plus we get some shamless publicity.
Feel free to PM me.
Feel free to PM me.
Not sure where you stand with running your own bar if your venue already has a licence (may be worth contacting the licencee).
I'm involved in an am-dram group that uses an un-licenced hall, but we can apply for an occasional licence to run a bar during our performances. As I say, not sure sure if it works the same if there is a licence already.
I'm involved in an am-dram group that uses an un-licenced hall, but we can apply for an occasional licence to run a bar during our performances. As I say, not sure sure if it works the same if there is a licence already.
Licencing lawas have changed (Autumn last year)and the system is now run by local authorities not the magistrates.
IIRC you now need to have a licenced person and a licenced premises to be able to run a bar. The logic now being that a person with a licence can run a bar in any licenced premises (my dad has one - very handy!) and any licenced premises can be run by a person with a licence.
Getting a personal licence involves going on a course (I think Dad had to do three or four days) with an exam at the end. Dad's buddy failed the exam (but he's not very bright!). I'm not sure about the requirements for a premises, if the property was used as a bar under the old regime there were switchover provisions but I'm pretty sure these have long expired.
You need to know if your hall holds a licence and then find yourself a person with a licence.
I don't know whether there is any way round this if you are not "selling" booze, whether some kind of "entrance ticket" scheme might work?
IIRC you now need to have a licenced person and a licenced premises to be able to run a bar. The logic now being that a person with a licence can run a bar in any licenced premises (my dad has one - very handy!) and any licenced premises can be run by a person with a licence.
Getting a personal licence involves going on a course (I think Dad had to do three or four days) with an exam at the end. Dad's buddy failed the exam (but he's not very bright!). I'm not sure about the requirements for a premises, if the property was used as a bar under the old regime there were switchover provisions but I'm pretty sure these have long expired.
You need to know if your hall holds a licence and then find yourself a person with a licence.
I don't know whether there is any way round this if you are not "selling" booze, whether some kind of "entrance ticket" scheme might work?
Piglet said:
I don't know whether there is any way round this if you are not "selling" booze, whether some kind of "entrance ticket" scheme might work?
We have in past considered providing a "free" bar but with a bucket for "donations" with a list of "suggested donations for each drink". You need to be pretty confident of the people attending though.
Piglet's right about the councils now issuing the license although I'm not certain about the premsis issue (we were able to run a beer tent in a field) and we got a licsene this year without having to go on a course. That said, we'd had an occassional license for the past three years so we may not have needed to go.
For a one off event you require a Temporary Event Notice (TEN), which is usually as simple as completing the relevant application form, sending it to the local Council (copy to the Police I think) and awaiting for it to be granted.
However there are restrictions as to how many TENs can be issued in respect of any one premises in the course of a year and a Village Hall may guard them jealously and charge extra if you use one. There are changes in the pipeline for community halls so they they will no longer need a designated premises supervisor, this should make it easier for village halls to be licenced which means all users would benefit.
Giving alcohol in excahnge for a donation is illegal, as is giving it free, if people have paid for a meal/entry etc, unless you have a Licence.
However there are restrictions as to how many TENs can be issued in respect of any one premises in the course of a year and a Village Hall may guard them jealously and charge extra if you use one. There are changes in the pipeline for community halls so they they will no longer need a designated premises supervisor, this should make it easier for village halls to be licenced which means all users would benefit.
Giving alcohol in excahnge for a donation is illegal, as is giving it free, if people have paid for a meal/entry etc, unless you have a Licence.
chrisgr31 said:
copy to the Police I think
Correct
TEN cost might vary but for our council is £25
chrisgr31 said:
However there are restrictions as to how many TENs can be issued in respect of any one premises in the course of a year
It's 5 per year but per PERSON (or is on the TENs that I've applied for as bar manager for the PTA)
chrisgr31 said:
Giving alcohol in excahnge for a donation is illegal
as the TEN is so easy to apply for then it's much easier just to sell the stuff! Anyway, who said anything about donations for the alcohol - just sell variable price raffle tickets with alcohol as a prize
Edited by cirks on Friday 25th August 10:13
I did something like this once, many years ago. If my memory serves me correctly what we did was offer 'raffle' tickets for a drink.
We had the 'winning/lucky' numbers already 'drawn' and pinned on the notice board (ie the entire raffle book!) and the customer would pay for a raffle ticket, dip his/her hand into the numbers and draw a number. Funnily enough everyone always seemed to pick a winning number!
Not suggesting you do this! But its a thought.....
We had the 'winning/lucky' numbers already 'drawn' and pinned on the notice board (ie the entire raffle book!) and the customer would pay for a raffle ticket, dip his/her hand into the numbers and draw a number. Funnily enough everyone always seemed to pick a winning number!
Not suggesting you do this! But its a thought.....
cirks said:
chrisgr31 said:
However there are restrictions as to how many TENs can be issued in respect of any one premises in the course of a year
It's 5 per year but per PERSON (or is on the TENs that I've applied for as bar manager for the PTA)
Ah yes thanks for the reminder there are both personal limits and building limits. I think its 10 per year for a building. A TEN can last for a number of hours (36 maybe) but there has to be 24 hours clear between events covered by a TEN
chrisgr31 said:
Giving alcohol in excahnge for a donation is illegal
as the TEN is so easy to apply for then it's much easier just to sell the stuff! Anyway, who said anything about donations for the alcohol - just sell variable price raffle tickets with alcohol as a prize
[/quote]
Raffles and tombolas with alcohol as prizes are also illegal unless licenced, and I suspect getting licenced could be difficult. One would be unlucky to get done for the tombola but its not unknown. Just needs a grumpy sod to complain!
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