Special Licences Granted to Wine and Food and Blues and Brews

The Marlborough Wine and Food Festival may continue to use glass to serve wine at this summer’s festival but a slightly later start time of 11am has been set down by the District Licensing Agency.

Police again objected to the use of glass but the Sub-committee accepted the Wine and Food Festival organisers’ submission that wine glasses were appropriate for the event which is to have a change of direction with a different style of music and greater emphasis on food.

Blenheim Blues, Brews & BBQs organisers have already made the switch to polycarbonate glasses and the licence for its event was granted on that basis.

The Marlborough District Council’s Liquor Licensing Sub-committee, acting as the District Licensing Agency in Marlborough, yesterday heard Police objections to the special licence applications for both events which are held one week apart in February.

The applications were heard by the Sub-committee of District Councillors Graeme Taylor and Graeme Barsanti and chaired by Councillor John Leggett.

Councillor Leggett says ‘pre-loading’ by patrons followed by continued drinking without food is a key concern for Police so the Wine and Food Festival will begin closer to the middle of the day when people are more likely to be eating.

Councillor Leggett says the Blues and Brews organisers indicated they want to rebrand their event to make it more family-friendly. On the basis of more security and crowd direction, the previous R18 designation has been lifted.

It is a condition of each licence that a limit of two drinks per customer is imposed for the last two hours of each event in an attempt to slow down the rate of alcohol being served in the closing stages.