Could Soho pubs be forced to ban standing pints and become table-service only?

There’s nothing quite like that first sip of a crisp pint on a Thursday evening. In a gruelling work week, a couple of al fresco brews with your mates nursed curbside is the perfect way to kick off the (almost) weekend.

But central Londoners could soon be forced to wave goodbye to that tradition. That’s because, according to the Guardian, Westminster Council’s new draft licensing policy has recommended banning ‘vertical drinking’ and ordering at the bar.

The policy expressed the council’s ‘concern’ over ‘“vertical drinking” premises where customers consume alcohol whilst standing throughout the evening’.

It said pubs and bars should ‘discourage excessive drunkenness and encourage the provision of more seating in premises that serve alcohol for people to sit and enjoy a drink and order food by table service in place of open bar space that caters for high volume vertical drinking’. It also recommended that food and drinks should be available ‘by waiter or waitress service only’.

If approved, the new policy would apply to Soho and the West End, where Westminster Council has jurisdiction. It would apply to new licence applications and major licence variations. 

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has criticised ‘restrictive and anti-growth policies’ like this ‘at a time when venues need our support more than ever’. A spokesperson for the mayor said he would use the new powers being granted to mayors by the government to ‘call in’ decisions made by councils which could hurt local businesses and the community. 

He’s not the only one to push back against the draft plans, either, with industry leaders also calling for the proposals to be scrapped. 

Westminster Council has called for consultation and comments from residents of and visitors to the area. You can have your say about the proposals here. 

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