Running your first pub?

Please have a look around this site, it may answer some of your questions about taking on a pub for the first time. Whether your a buying, leasing, renting or managing licenced premsies, you are going to need to obtain a Personal Licence, that’s for sure……remember, you are not going to be very successful if you do not know the rules….. 

Hello, I’m Johnny Walker and I deliver the one day Personal Licence course. Please do call me on 07970 134 730 if you need any advice about obtaining a Personal Licence anywhere in England and Wales.

Click to my facebook page here and have a read https://www.facebook.com/aaalicencetraining

A Personal Licence is a licence needed by anyone who sells or authorises the sale of alcohol by retail in any premises – including pubs, off-licences, shops, restaurants, bars and hotels.

The requirement to have a Personal Licence holder does not apply to qualifying clubs or for events operating under a Temporary Event Notice. A qualifying club operates under a club certificate and not a premsies licence…….but the law being the law, there are times when a club can have both a club certificate and a premsies licence……I’m not going to lie to you, you really don’t need to know why at this stage….trust me….

Applications are made to the local authority for the area in which the applicant lives.  The Personal Licence is valid for life (unless it is suspended, surrendered or forfeited), and will move with the holder from one premises to another, allowing greater flexibility. Yes, it’s your own licence to spill…..

The issuing council will be responsible for continuing to issue this licence even if the holder moves away from the area. You must inform the issuing council of any changes of name or address. Your Personal Licence can be used anywhere in England and Wales….but not Scotland.

Wherever there’s licensed premises, there is at least one Personal Licence holder. From Hereford to Haverford West, from Cwmbram to Cheltenham, from Stroud to Stratford upon Avon (that’s enough alliteration of towns)….

Every year, I  teach dozens of Personal Licence courses specifically for individuals who are taking on their first pub. Typically, a couple, or a number of friends decide to buy / rent / lease a pub. They will need to understand the legal obligations of selling alcohol, the supply late night refreshment and entertainment. I cover all of these topics in detail throughout the one day Personal Licence course. Also, you can always call me anytime after the course for advice on the application of the law. And many do….

It’s a massive step to start operating your own public house. You’ve probably thought about doing this for many years and at last, the stars have aligned, and you are entering the licensed trade. Whether you have a wet or dry led pub, the law about licensing is the same. In essence, follow the rules. If you get things wrong the consequences can be devastating for your business and your livelihood. Anyway, let’s focus on the positive….

There is more to running a pub than pulling a few pints. My Personal Licence course centres on the application of the law on licensed premises. You will need to know how to apply the law correctly every single time, in every situation, it will become second nature to you and your team. Trust me, if you get this wrong, then the ultimate sanction is that your premises licence can be revoked.

Throughout the Personal Licence training day, I will relate the law to concrete examples and situations I have been involved in over the last 19 years and some of them are rather unusual (and hell, some are really unsual)…… I always teach the law in a way that will help you remember and most importantly be able to apply the law correctly.

Yes, you have to pass the end of course examination, but the true reasons for the course is to understand the application of the law. Just think about it, anyone can cram for an examination and pass, this is in reality what we all do in life to get through our college and university courses……..but with licensing, you need to be able to understand the law and apply it correctly every time………and you will have to do this every day and without deliberation. In my opinion, for what its worth, this is the most important element of the Personal Licence course. Others may disagree, but hey…….life is too short…

On the Personal Licence training day, I will assume you know absolutely nothing about licensing law and use that as the starting point. I teach licensing law most days of the week, this includes Saturdays and Sundays too, (just call me on 07970 134 730 for details) and I meet great people who are providing a great British tradition.

Many of those I teach have been in the licensed trade for many years and have never got around to obtaining their Personal Licence. Incredibly, they often have sparse knowledge of the law and have been operating with scant understanding of licensing law. My course will explain everything you need to know from scratch. By the way if this is you, relax….I can fix it, yes I can….

The training day is well paced with real life examples. It is far better that you learn the law from practical illustrations, rather than from dull black letter of the law examples. If you have arrived at this page and are looking to attend one of my courses, or a course I can arrange just for you, please have a good look around my website………..admittedly, it’s not the most beautifully created website ever, but it does the job and well, it’s got me this far in life….

So, there you have it, look around my site, have a look at other sites too (I know I would) there are loads of big Personal Licence training companies out there to whom you will be just another number, another candidate, another statistic on their spread sheet.  If you want to be just another customer, book with them. If you want to be well taught and well prepared for the end of course examination, give me a call. 

Every candidate I teach is important to my business, that’s how I have a 99% examination pass rate. Loads, well OK, quite a few, of the individuals I have taught over the years still keep in touch……isn’t that nice?

Give me a call if you want any advice……my advice is always free and without any obligation……so, just pick up the ‘phone, here’s that number again 07970 134 730…………by the way, if I’m teaching, please leave a message and I will  ring you back, I promise. No, I really will……

Cheers.

Johnny Walker.

Personal Licence one day course. How to obtain a Personal Licence. Personal license. Forms for Personal Licence. personal Licence application forms. How do I get a Personal Licence. Licence to sell alcohol. One day personal licence course hereford. Next personal licence training course in Malvern. Gloucester personal licxence training day. Where is a personal licence course in Oxfordshire. One to one personal licence training.

What is a personal licence?

All sales of alcohol must be made by, or under the authority of, a Personal Licence Holder. This means that any individual may sell alcohol provided that the sale has been authorised by a Personal Licence Holder.

You can have as many Personal Licence Holders at a premises as you wish, providing there is only one Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS).

You can also choose to become a Personal Licence Holder if you wish to apply for more than five Temporary Event Notices a year, but otherwise would not require one.

What is a designated premises supervisor?

All premises operating under a Premises Licence to sell or supply alcohol must appoint a Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) for the premises. There can only be one DPS per premises. 

The DPS will be held as the person in overall charge of the premises. You should therefore choose this person with care.

Applicants must nominate the DPS on their application form for a premises licence. This person does not have to be on the premises at all times, however they must take responsibility for what happens there.

This means the DPS should ensure any staff they appoint are appropriately trained in the requirements of the Licensing Act 2003 and of any specific conditions attached to the Premises Licence.

A person cannot become a DPS unless they are also a Personal Licence Holder.

How do I apply for a personal licence?

Applicants must be over the age of 18. You must submit the following to the Licensing Authority:

1.     Application fee of £37 payable to your local licensing authority (where you live)

2.     A copy of a completed Personal Licence application form.

3.     A copy of a completed criminal disclosure form

4.     Two passport photographs, one of which is signed verifying the likeness of the photograph to the applicant by a solicitor, notary, a person of standing in the community or any individual with a professional qualification.

5.     Proof that you hold a Licensing Qualification that has been accredited by the Secretary of State. Please forward your original certificate. For example the Highfield Personal Licence Holder’s certificate

6.     Your Criminal Record Certificate. These can be obtained either from the Disclosure and Barring Service website (apply for a Basic Disclosure) or from Data Protection Unit of the Police. Please ensure that in either case the certificate or search results shall be issued no earlier than one calendar month before the submission of the application to your local licensing authority.

To obtain a Highfield Personal Licence certificate, please call Johnny Walker on 07970 134 730.