Page 41 - Q&A Book.indd

An applicant for a micro-brewery licence may be a natural or juristic
person such as a company or trust. The applicant will need to ensure
that the premises are zoned for business use appropriate for the
running of a micro-brewery and that any building plans or renovations,
should such be required, are approved by the local government
(after considering recommendations by the local building control
officer). You don’t have to wait for your building work to be completed
however, and may submit your application before you commence
with the construction work.
From an equipment perspective, it is important that the correct
brewing equipment is obtained and that such meet the requirements Commercial
of applicable health and environmental specifications. Should your
brewery wish to cater for visitors, you will also need to look at aspects
such as sufficient parking and health and safety compliance in
respect of your potential patrons.
Your identified location is also important for your licence application.
Your brewery should be at least 500 metres away from places
of worship, educational institutions, schools and/or other similar
facilities. As the public interest is taken into account by the liquor
authority when considering licence applications, quite often licence
applications are unsuccessful because neighbours or members of
the public object to the issuing thereof. Factors such as contributing
to tourism, creating employment etc. on the other hand can be
factors that weigh in favour of an application.

Every application will have to go through a rigorous process before
it can be approved by the liquor authority. Should you wish to start
a micro-brewery it will be important that you understand the various
steps and the information that needs to be correctly submitted with
your application in order to position your application for positive
consideration.
Any non-compliance with the legal requirements will diminish your
chances of successfully obtaining your licence and quash your
dreams of opening up your own local brewery. We therefore strongly
encourage consulting with a liquor application specialist to assist
in the steps and information needed for submitting a compliant
application for a micro-brewery licence.

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