High-profile bar and bistro Gascoigne’s of Haworth, which appears in an advert by tourism group Visit Britain, is applying to have its licensing rules relaxed at a meeting today.
The family-owned business, which incorporates the Haworth Steam Brewery and a delicatessen, wants permission to sell alcohol to non-diners on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
And the application to Bradford District Licensing panel is backed by a petition of some 350 signatures from supporters of the changes, said Gascoigne’s manager Kelly Gascoigne.
“We have had lots of support which we’re very grateful for,” said Miss Gascoigne, who runs the front of house while her dad Andy does the brewing and mum Mandy does the food.
“This really is a family business and we don’t want to change the character of Gascoigne’s or the sort of people who come in here.
“We’re open seven days a week, eleven months of the year and we just want to give people what they want,” she said. “For two years I’ve worked within the remit of not serving alcohol to non-diners after 6pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
“And if we get the licence changed, I will still use that to my advantage by not letting in or serving the wrong sort of people such as gangs of teenage lads.
“At the moment we have people coming in from all over the world and sometimes I have to turn them away – and that’s wrong,” said Miss Gascoigne, 24, who has held the licence in her name for four years. But some businesses, including the nearby Old White Lion, Hotel have written letters of objection which contain opinions such as: l Customers will stand outside drinking and smoking as there is no beer garden.
l The bar might be used for karaoke at some point.
l Low prices of own-brewed beer attract all-day drinkers l Haworth already has enough bars and pubs.
Miss Gascoigne said she was disappointed that other Haworth businesses should see each other as rivals: “Haworth is a village and it should be united. We should all be working together to make sure next year’s visit by the Tour de France is an absolutely massive success,” she said.
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