Thinking of employing your 17-year-old daughter to work behind the bar? Short staffed to such an extent that you need to think about the children of some of your friends helping out in the restaurant? With the well-publicised difficulty in recruiting...
I attended the London Property Forum last week which had three principal speakers and a panel to discuss issues relevant to the trade; two of the speakers were from late-night businesses, operators of cocktail bars and nightclubs respectively, and the...
We have seen the casual dining market evolve considerably over the last few years with a number of high profile restaurant chains struggling to survive since Covid and some entering company voluntary arrangements (CVAs) in an effort to off-load under-performing...
By Andy Grimsey, senior consultant solicitor, Poppleston Allen
It was shocking although not surprising to hear insolvencies for pubs, restaurants and bars were up 59% on last year, as reported recently in The Morning Advertiser.
By Suraj Desor, associate solicitor, Poppleston Allen
With the Football World Cup fast approaching, whilst the competition presents lots of opportunities for licensees – which is very welcome - there are some potential pitfalls that they need to be aware of to ensure a safe and enforcement-free tournament..
With the pandemic now fading somewhat into the background, a whole new series of challenges seem to be making life as difficult as possible for operators.
The Government’s decision this month to extend the temporary provision for quicker and cheaper pavement licences for hospitality businesses was a nugget of good news among the current headlines.
By Alex Tomlinson, trainee solicitor, Poppleston Allen
British summertime has well and truly arrived and beer gardens across the country are back in full swing, with Covid restrictions now a distant memory.
By Suraj Desor, associate solicitor at Poppleston Allen
With the news that Nottingham City Council is considering removing the late-night levy that is currently in place, 10 years on from its introduction, how has it fared and what next for the levy?
Licensing law involves a lot of detailed administration. There is a lot of form filling (thankfully mostly online nowadays), particularly in respect of varying your Designated Premises Supervisor, changing the name and address of the licence holder or...
By Andy Grimsey, senior consultant solicitor, Poppleston Allen
We all know how useful temporary event notices (TENs) can be. Particularly in the years 2022 and 2023, when the Government has, in order to support business following Covid, increased the limits for TENs from a maximum of 15 per premises to 20, and a...
By Richard Bradley, associate solicitor, Poppleston Allen
With the pandemic forcing pubs to close for large periods over the past two years, we saw many establishments focus their attention on digital marketing to make sure their customers didn’t forget about them.
By Suraj Desor, associate solicitor at Poppleston Allen
We are now into the second year since the provisions of the Business & Planning Act were introduced by the Government in July 2020, with a view to helping licensees trade as they reopened post- pandemic.
I have written about this before, but it is becoming an increasingly significant part of the licensing process. The track record and proven operating ability is not as significant as it used to be.
I have had two cases recently where a premise licence held in the tenant’s name lapsed (due to insolvency) requiring me to lodge an urgent application on behalf of the landlord for a new licence. So now is as good a time as ever to look at the protections...
So, we enter the New Year and it has a surprisingly and rather depressingly familiar feel to it. Putting Covid-related matters aside for once (if that is even possible nowadays) let’s look at some of the more positive things to come in the licensing calendar...
With the festive season upon us, many operators will be planning raffles. There are a number of rules venues must follow, so here are some top tips to ensure everyone remains a winner.
Last year, Poppleston Allen published a detailed coronavirus pre-opening checklist and while the process of reopening has, to many, been one of tortuous evolution rather than speedy revolution, many of those considerations remain relevant today.
Vulnerability comes in many shapes and sizes. Often people associate vulnerability with particular traits however it is important for operators of licensed premises and their teams to be aware of what makes a person vulnerable along with what can make...
I know that you might have only just packed away your Halloween costumes, however this week the John Lewis advert hit our TV screens and that means only one thing – Christmas is coming.
In what is believed to be a sector first, today sees the national launch of a 50-page report covering the Covid-19 related legislative changes which affected the hospitality sector, from the start of restrictions to step four of the roadmap and the full...
It is time I think to revisit the issue of external areas of pub gardens and noise. Post-pandemic, are local people more appreciative of their local and more resigned to the odd burst of loud chatter from the garden, or have the months of closure led...
With the return to full trading following a disastrous year of shutdown and lockdown, many operators are experiencing an increased issue with regard to noise complaints from neighbours.
Since the reopening of the hospitality industry, there has been a rise in the entertainment offered within premises as they look to innovate in their offering to attract the return of customers.
The remaining coronavirus restrictions are due to be lifted on the 19 July and it is likely all operators will be looking at alternative ways of maximising trade after such long periods of closure and restrictions being in place.
In a year when everything was different, one thing that turned remarkably quickly were the wheels of justice in establishing remote hearings and meetings.
The latest legal Q&A from specialist licensing solicitors Poppleston Allen responds to a query around the outdoor live music, Covid risk assessments and licensing conditions.
The Prime Minister has confirmed restrictions in England will remain in place at least midnight on 18 July. Suraj Desor, specialist hospitality licensing solicitor at Poppleston Allen, answers key questions about the extended measures.
Graeme Cushion, partner at specialist licensing solicitors Poppleston Allen, answers some last-minute licensing questions ahead of this summer’s UEFA Euro 2020.
As we enter a new period of trading, it is worth brushing up on some of the key requirements for gaming machines in licensed venues in England and Wales.
Specialist licensing solicitors Poppleston Allen's latest legal Q&A addresses the impact of the Government’s relaxed off-trade restrictions on food and alcohol licensing conditions.
I write this article as Monday 17 May approaches, the light in the tunnel becomes brighter, and the journey towards ‘normality’, pot of gold of staycationers with savings and pub envy, a long, hot summer and the Euros await.
Re-opening may be some time off, however, now is the perfect time to think about preparing some refresher training for all your staff to undertake on their return behind the bar to get ahead of the game and reduce any threat of enforcement.
James Anderson from specialist licensing solicitors Poppleston Allen discusses what role pubs could play on post-lockdown high streets and where opportunities exist for operators once restrictions are lifted.
During 2020 a number of licensing authorities found themselves facing their five-yearly statutory duty to review their licensing policy, and consequently any associated Cumulative Impact Policy (CIP).
In previous years it has been customary for our first article of the new year to look forward to the year come, and make observations about possible legal changes for the hospitality industry in the coming months.
