Newburgh publican wages war against supermarket cheap booze

Mar 9 2010 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

IN a minnow versus great white shark scenario, the boss of a small pub near Perth has entered into battle against supermarket giants.

Jeff Ellis, licensee of Newburgh’s Bear Tavern, has undertaken a four-month battle against mountainous waves of red tape in a determined bid to highlight what he sees as the irresponsible price promotions run by three major supermarkets – Tesco, the Co-op and Morrisons.

Mr Ellis has been striving to use a mechanism brought in by Scotland’s new Licensing Act, which came into effect in September, to call for a review by Fife Licensing Board of the three supermarkets.

His action has the potential to be a test case for Scotland.

The section of the Act being employed by Mr Ellis entitles residents to apply for a review of an alcohol licence if they feel its conditions are being breached.

Mr Ellis has taken up the cudgels on behalf of licensees of traditional pubs who have been seeing their trade suffer for a number of years because of cut-price supermarket promotions.

“If you make valid grounds against any of five licensing objectives the board has to look at it,” explained Mr Ellis, a former London-based corporate banker. “The last straw for me was in early December when Morrisons offered four cans of lager for £1.”

His case with the licensing authority is based on the claim the stores’ discount deals fail to “protect and improve” public health – an objective of the Scottish Licensing Act.

Mr Ellis explained he “rattled off” an application to Fife Licensing Board for a review at the end of 2009.

“The application was taken seriously by the licensing board but it was not detailed enough and so it was decided by a split vote not to take it forward,” he said.

“A lot of members, however, wanted me to re-submit in a tighter form.”

And the publican, who bought the Bear Tavern in 2006 having previously had the Strathardle Inn in Kirkmichael, has been delighted to find that his campaign can proceed to review.

Mr Ellis added yesterday: “Fife Licensing Board met this to consider whether to formally hear my applications for review of the premises licences of both Tesco and Morrisons.

“By a majority of six to three they decided that there is a case to answer and the review applications will go before a full board meeting on Monday, March 22, in Kirkcaldy.

“I am just a small pub in North Fife, but I know a lot of individuals and organisations are behind me on this.”