A new mobile food truck set to serve hot cheese toasties and baked treats across South Gloucestershire is at risk of being stopped before it even begins operating. The halt comes after council officers discovered that the operator had failed to register as a legitimate food business.
Nicolas Royal, trading under the name Grill and Go, has applied for a mobile street trading consent to operate daily throughout the district, with plans to serve hot and cold food from 7am to 9pm on weekdays, and until 11pm on weekends. The application will be reviewed by the South Gloucestershire Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee on Tuesday, May 20.
While the application meets most policy requirements and includes valid insurance and background checks, Environmental Health has formally objected. In a statement dated April 2, Environmental Health Officer Michelle May explained: “The business has not registered to operate a food business. Therefore, this Department objects to this application on the grounds that the business has not registered to sell food or drink and cannot legally do so until registered.”
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The licence requested is for a mobile unit that must comply with council rules requiring the vehicle to move between locations, limiting stops to less than 60 minutes each and not revisiting the same spot within two hours. Photographs of the proposed vehicle were provided with the application.
No objections were raised by the police, highways, or public health departments. Thornbury Town Council also voiced no opposition, aside from noting the need to consider the Thornbury Neighbourhood Plan.
Licensing officers acknowledged that the application “meets the criteria according to this Licensing Authority’s Street Trading Policy,” but emphasized that the Environmental Health concerns must be addressed to ensure public safety.
The Licensing Sub-Committee will decide whether to grant the licence in full, approve it with amendments, issue a short-term consent, or reject the application altogether. There is no direct right of appeal against the decision, although a Judicial Review might be sought on procedural grounds.