Jay Food and Wine has been subjected to new licence conditions following a Licensing Sub-Committee meeting on Thursday, 2 July 2026. The committee refused the requested extension of hours for the sale of alcohol but agreed to vary the licence with additional stipulations.
The application, submitted by Alagathurai Vijeyakanthan, sought to extend alcohol sales from 8am to midnight and premises opening hours from 7am to 1am daily. However, representations from the Metropolitan Police, the Council's Licensing Department, and Trading Standards raised significant concerns, highlighting breaches related to the prevention of crime and disorder, protection of children from harm, and prevention of public nuisance.
PC Owen Dunn of the Metropolitan Police highlighted an incident on 2 June 2026 where officers found the premises open at 1am, beyond permitted hours. During this visit, staff were unable to produce the premises licence, operate the CCTV system, or identify a supervisor. The police described these as fundamental failures to uphold licensing objectives.
The Council's Licensing Department echoed these concerns, noting a pattern of non-compliance, including prolonged periods of non-operational CCTV. The CCTV system at Jay Food and Wine is now operational, having previously been non-operational for approximately four to six months due to issues with an engineer. Mr. Vijeyakanthan stated that he has now fixed the CCTV system.
Trading Standards reported that on 4 June 2026, illicit tobacco was sold to a test purchaser. A subsequent inspection found evidence of single illicit cigarette sales, and a vaping product had been sold to a 14-year-old test purchaser on 19 February 2026. Trading Standards highlighted that the premises is located near a secondary school and expressed concern regarding the sale of a vaping product to a 14-year-old test purchaser, stating, The sale of vaping product to a 14-year-old test purchaser on the 19th of February. To sell to a 14-year-old is very concerning because the premises is located near a secondary school. And we often see young people loitering outside this particular premises.
The meeting summary does not mention any fines or penalties issued as a direct outcome of these investigations, but notes that criminal proceedings were being considered for the illicit tobacco sale.
Mr. Vijeyakanthan attributed some issues to new staff and personal illness, stating that training had been provided and the CCTV system was now repaired. He also cited neighbouring businesses, including Nisa Local and a pub, with later opening hours as a reason for his application.
Following deliberation, the Sub-Committee decided to refuse the extension of hours for alcohol sales. However, they agreed to vary the licence by imposing new conditions. These include prohibiting the sale of single cans and bottles, mandating staff training with refresher courses every six months, and ensuring alcohol supplies are from HMRC-approved sellers, with a ban on accepting alcohol from door-to-door sellers. The committee also recommended the use of a reputable third-party provider for training.
The committee expressed concerns about the applicant's understanding of licensing objectives and his ability to deliver staff training. The applicant was advised that demonstrating compliance with the new conditions could help avoid a future review of his entire licence.
Further details on the meeting and the full reports can be found in the Public reports pack.
