A high-end wine and beer merchant looks likely to get a new licence after positive noises from councillors.
Louise Oliver, owner of the Seven Cellars off-licence, in Dyke Road, Brighton, near the Seven Dials, presented her case to sell single cans of craft beer and stay open for an extra two hours each night.
Mrs Oliver told the panel at Hove Town Hall today (Tuesday 30 October) how she studied wine at Plumpton College and now teaches students there about wine importing.
Some of the shop staff are recruited from the student body or go on to take degree courses in wine at the specialist college.
She said: “Drinking wine is a hobby, not about getting drunk at all.
“We import but are also developing export links across Europe.
“This is fantastic for local wine makers and brewers who have new markets to go to.”
Mrs Oliver told the panel that she wanted to open later as many of her customers were eating at nearby restaurants until 10pm, with a bring-your-own wine policy.
She said that she sold wines to complement Thai and Vietnamese food.
But the off-licence is within Brighton and Hove City Council’s “special stress area” where licensing rules are tighter because of concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour.
Neither Sussex Police nor the council’s licensing department opposed her request to sell single cans of craft beer.
A new condition covered sales of all craft, premium and specialist beers and ciders in any single container.
Councillors Jackie O’Quinn and Lynda Hyde said that they were impressed with Mrs Oliver’s presentation and understood her products were not aimed at binge drinkers or people “pre-loading” before a night of clubbing.
When the original licence was granted in 2015, the limit on opening times in the special stress area was 8pm.
Sussex Police licensing officer Hannah Staplehurst told the panel that there were only “a handful” of alcohol-related crimes in the Seven Dials area.
