If lockdown brought us one good thing, it was takeaway pints. Although most of the pandemic is happily now a distant memory, the joy of sipping lagers from disposable cups handed to you through hatches has stuck around. But that too may soon be a thing of the past.
While pubs were unable to allow punters inside during the pandemic, temporary licensing rules allowed them to serve beer from their windows without having to apply to their local council for permission.
Since its implementation, the government extended the rules on two occasions, but it has now been confirmed that they will not be extended a third time. From September 30, pubs will once again need to obtain an off-site licence from their local council to continue takeaway sales.
That being said, the Home Office says it will encourage authorities to make applying for an off-site licence quicker and cheaper. The department said that it had come to the decision after canvassing opinion from councils, residents’ groups and drink retailers – the majority of whom apparently favoured returning to pre-Covid rules.
However, Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association said: ‘We need the government to support our pubs and allow them to diversify and innovate, not hold them back with more red tape and unnecessary regulation.’
The organisation said that the decision will force pubs to go through ‘lengthy application and approval processes’ in order to keep takeaway sales.
In other words, if you want to get in a few takeaway pints, you likely have just under a two months to keep doing so!
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