A specialist whisky bar has been granted permission to stay open later.
Cut Your Wolf Loose can now serve alcohol until 11.30pm at its bar and shop in Trafalgar Street, Brighton, formerly the home of Trafalgar Wines.
A Brighton and Hove City Council licensing panel approved the company’s application for a later licence.
Sussex Police and the council’s licensing team had objected to the licence variation so the application was decided by the panel of councillors.
The business was also granted permission for “off-sales” – to sell alcoholic miniatures as part of cocktail-making sets and for craft beer.
And up to 15 customers can now drink in the garden until 9.30pm, after the licensing panel hearing earlier this month.
The venue’s general manager and “dram dealer” Paul De Newtown spoke at the hearing, before three councillors on Thursday 16 November.
He said that many customers missed out on the opportunity of an after-dinner drink because the existing licence had a 10pm cut-off for the sale of drinks.
The earlier closing time also meant that the business lost out when people wanted to celebrate the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the hearing was told.
Cut Your Wolf Loose owner Sebastian Woolf told the panel – councillors Julie Cattell, Emma Daniel and Carol Theobald – that the venue was unique to Brighton and possibly even the country, attracting visitors from around the world.
After the licence variation was granted, Mr Woolf said: “We are delighted with the decision made by the panel to grant our application for variation to our current licence to increase opening hours.
“The fact that the panel recognised that we have not added to the cumulative impact in the area and that they believe we are an asset to the Brighton community has reignited my belief that independent businesses are extremely important to Brighton, its residents and the tourists that visit year on year.”
The licence now requires any live music and tasting events to end by 9pm except on 10 occasions a year
- Burns Night (25 January)
- Valentine’s Day (14 February)
- Mother’s Day (Sunday)
- St Patrick’s Day (17 March)
- St George’s Day (23 April)
- Father’s Day (Sunday)
- Halloween (31 October)
- St Andrew’s Day (30 November)
- Christmas Eve (24 December)
- New Year’s Eve (31 December)
Given the price of a decent whiskey I don’t think that this place would attract trouble. It will give people a chance to try decent whiskey without having to invest in an expensive bottle. A worthwhile venture and I look forward to dropping in.