Alcohol license and gifting

[Pistom]

I understand from the Professional Association of Self Caterers that if you are giving guests alcohol to those staying at your furnished holiday let, you need to have an alcohol license but is anyone aware if a limited company needs one if giving alcohol to customers and suppliers?

In our company, we give alcohol to customers at Christmas, Birthdays and special occasions. We've also got a local supplier who never invoices us, we just give her a crate of beer for her services.

Do we need an alcohol license for our company?

[vaud]

I highly doubt it

https://www.ncass.org.uk/resources/legal-complianc...

As there is no sale of alcohol, then it fails the "supply test" for the Licensing Act 2003.

If you want to be sure, contact your local licensing office.

Hundreds of self catering companies leave a bottle for guests, and I have never seen an licensing details on their web site of on my paperwork, etc

Ok, technically it isn't free, but buried in the cost of provision, but it isn't a retail sale of alcohol.

I am not a lawyer.

[Pistom]

vaud said:

I highly doubt it

https://www.ncass.org.uk/resources/legal-complianc...

As there is no sale of alcohol, then it fails the "supply test" for the Licensing Act 2003.

If you want to be sure, contact your local licensing office.

Hundreds of self catering companies leave a bottle for guests, and I have never seen an licensing details on their web site of on my paperwork, etc

Ok, technically it isn't free, but buried in the cost of provision, but it isn't a retail sale of alcohol.

I am not a lawyer.

Thank you - this is the common sense view but the argument I've heard is that in the case of a holiday let - the guest has to pay to stay at the holiday let to receive the alcohol so they are paying for it - a license is thus needed.

In the same way - with customers and suppliers, they have to be trading with us to receive the alcohol, we don't give the stuff away to anyone who happens to be passing.

Even though many self caterers give a bottle, in most cases, they need a license. There is a supposed workaround where the host doesn't charge the alcohol to the business nor refers to it in their marketing in which case there is no proof that they supplied it but that's not possible in our limited company situation.

[vaud]

Pistom said:

Thank you - this is the common sense view but the argument I've heard is that in the case of a holiday let - the guest has to pay to stay at the holiday let to receive the alcohol so they are paying for it - a license is thus needed.

I think the test is related to selling alcohol, which you aren't. The only way to solve it absolutely is to call the licensing team.