by Angela Jameson
Hippo Pizza, a London-based take-away pizza chain, has won a significant appeal at the crown court which will allow it to deliver beers and wines with its pizzas.
The company has been granted an off-licence for its Islington outlet in a rare crown court action which could significantly influence licensing practice throughout England and Wales.
Shahrokh Parvin, who founded Hippo Pizza six years ago with his brother Anthony, told Caterer they had decided to apply for an off-licence after receiving many requests for beer from customers.
Their victory last month comes against a background of reluctance on the part of licensing justices to grant off-licences to take-away and home-delivery establishments for fear of sales to under-age drinkers.
In a phone poll of licensing departments in the London area, Caterer found much hostility towards licensing such operations, but few clear policy guidelines.
As a result, many take-away and delivery operations do not bother to apply for licences, resorting to selling alcohol to their customers illegally.
Hippo Pizza first applied to Highbury Corner magistrates for a licence in October 1994. Its solicitor, Barnett Alexander Chart, presented detailed procedures and work practices to safeguard against the sale of alcohol to under-18s. However, the justices still refused the application, even though no objections were raised.
On appeal, the judge and the lay justices decided that these procedures were, after all, sufficient and the off-licence was granted.
Neil Shestopal, licensing specialist at Barnett Alexander Chart, said the significance of the decision was that licensing justices who had no written policy would now have to consider applications on their merits rather than dismissing cases out of hand.
But he warned that where a written policy did exist it would be impractical to challenge it.
Hippo Pizza, which currently has eight outlets, is now planning to expand the chain outside London and intends to apply for more off-licences.