Free Beer and Alcohol Licence

[Leachy10]

If I were to hold an event such as a darts match and charged £20 to enter, and then provided a "free" bar. Would I need an alcohol licence?

[Count-A-Strong]

Where?

[4getmenot]

nope but would probably need an entertainment license

[joggerjayne]

Yes, it would be treated as an "indirect sale".

You would need to give a Temporary Event Notice to the local licensing authority, and to the local police.

[Leachy10]

But they wouldn't need to play darts, so the entry fee is effectivly charging for the drinks.

[Buenchico]

You'd be required to submit a 'TEN'. (Temporary Event Notice).

That's not quite the same as applying for a licence, since you are TELLING the licensing authority of your intent to supply alcohol, rather than ASKING PERMISSION to do so. No actual permission is required, per se, and (once the TEN has been submitted) you're free to go ahead with your plan unless the police object:

Legislation:
http://www.legislatio.../ukpga/2003/17/part/5

Summary of procedure (from Leicester City Council):
http://www.leicester....mporary-event-notice/

Chris

[joggerjayne]

If you hold a function, for which you charge, and where alcohol is provided as a condition of paying for the ticket ... then you need a licence.

Put it another way ...

If a person didn't want to watch the darts, they just wanted to come in and drink for free ... would they be allowed to come in and drink all night without buying a ticket?

No?

Then it's not really a free bar!

You need a licence.

[joggerjayne]

Well, a "TEN" ... as Chris (and I) have already said.

[Maydup]

I agree with the others - a Temporary event Notice is required. It is the serving of alcohol that needs a licence regardless of whether you charge. You have to take resonsiblty not to serve anyone under 18 or create any crime or disorder.

If you download the form from your local authority and follow the instructions, only the police can object to the event.

More info here

http://www.culture.go...tertainment/4056.aspx

[joggerjayne]

"the serving of alcohol that needs a licence regardless of whether you charge"

I'm not sure I agree with that.

I don't think the licensing legislation is interested in anyone who gives alcohol away, otherwise we'd need to serve a Temporary Event Notice every time we had friends over, LOL.

[Buenchico]

To be pedantic, Eddie, the licence is to 'supply by retail' (rather than simply 'to supply') but a court would almost certainly rule that charging indirectly (i.e. via an admission ticket for the event) would counts as 'supplying by retail'.

However if, say, a brewery wanted to simply give away quantities of its booze (perhaps as part of a promotional event), no licence or TEN would be required.

[boxtops]

That's how some of the indian takeaways get round it - bring your own drinks. Otherwise yes, you'd need a TEN.