Nicolas Royal, owner of the mobile food business Grill and Go, has been refused a street-trading licence by South Gloucestershire Council after failing to comply with key legal requirements. Royal intended to operate across the district, selling burgers, sausages, eggs, jacket potatoes, chicken, and chips during hours ranging from early morning to late evening. However, his application was rejected by the council’s licensing sub-committee following objections from environmental health and concerns over public safety and enforcement difficulties.
Central to the council’s decision was Mr Royal’s failure to register his business officially as a food business, a mandatory step to trade legally. Environmental health officer Michelle May highlighted this critical oversight, noting that without registration, the business cannot legally sell food or drink. Additionally, Royal did not provide proof of a waste contract, another statutory requirement.
Throughout the application process, Royal failed to respond to several attempts by licensing officers to communicate, including phone calls and emails encouraging him to comply with food safety regulations. His absence from the hearing held at Kingswood Civic Centre on May 20 meant he was unable to address these issues directly.
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Senior licensing officer Kevin Barley expressed regret that Royal was not present to clarify his business plans and emphasized the challenges in enforcing regulations on mobile vendors, especially when locations are unspecified and cooperation is lacking. Cllr Mike Bell also voiced concerns about the uncertainty of trading locations within South Gloucestershire.
The licensing sub-committee ultimately decided that Royal’s lack of engagement and failure to meet legal requirements made it impossible to grant the licence. Panel chairman Cllr Chris Davies summed up the decision, citing the applicant’s failure to provide necessary documentation and register the business in compliance with regulations.
While other authorities, including the police, public health, highways teams, and Thornbury Town Council, raised no objections to the application, the procedural shortcomings were decisive in the refusal. This case underscores the importance of adhering to food safety laws and maintaining open communication with regulatory bodies for mobile food businesses.