Brewery registration?

[suffolkbeer]

I’m currently in the process of setting up a 200LITRE brewery and need to get registration sorted so I can legally sell beer.

Has anyone been through this process and would be willing to guide me through the process?

Also, do I need to register with anyone other than the tax people (ie Env health etc)?
All the best,
Mike

 

[yeastinfection]

Sorry. Don't know

 

[lancon]

HMRC and Env Health you have to, Trading Standards will find you, linked to HMRC beer duty is also now Alcohol Wholesale Registration who will contact you, only necessary if you are selling to pubs or shops. Remember you can only sell to the public with a licence from local council or from licensed premises.
And possibly planning .... depends where you are doing it and if you are likely to have any nuisance from neighbours.

 

[Gunge]

I just flog it out the front room window.

 

[johnnyboy1965]

You dont have to "register" with the EHO. Get in touch with them before you start and they will go over your plans with you. A lot of people get the EHO wrong, they are there to help you, not just prosicute you.
I highly recommend that you take the course and get a Level 4 Food Hygiene Cert. this will really impress the EHO

 

[lancon]

Sorry, its Food Standards Agency, https://www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/startingup but monitored by Env Health. In my experience EHO have been nothing but helpful, been round a few times, at the beginning more concerned with bottling than the actual brewing as that monitors itself, (if you dont keep it clean then you dont get beer...)

 

[terrym]

@simon12 ran a small brewery and I believe is in the process of opening a brewpub so he may be able to help.
There are other threads on here about this subject so it might be useful to you if you tried to find them. Forum search tool at the top.

 

[simon12]

Before you do anything check with the coulcil if you need planning permission as brewerys technically need B2 planning. Then read 4.3 of this which links to the form you need to fill in https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...-notice-226-beer-duty--2#registration-general and tells you about the plan you need to do. To sell only to the public you need an alcohol license (for the premises its sold from and a personal one) from the council. To sell to the trade you need to register for AWRS see https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-alcohol-wholesaler-registration-scheme-awrs . Food standards or whatever there called (the council) you only need to notify before you start producing and they will come and see you soon after, I recommend you don't ask them for requirements before as they are likely to insist on all stainless surfaces and all sorts or stuff you don't need. Trading standards just wait for them to contact you, if your bottling they will look at your labels to check there OK, They asked about how we measured ABV but the guy didn't seem to know himself how it should be done. You are supposed to notify the water company as you are putting commercial waste in the drain and they will want to charge you to. Someone from a council department wanted to know how we disposed of yeast, spent grain and hops but never had to fill anything in. Apart from this be prepared to have to keep a record of every grain and hop you see where it went and the batch no.
Thats the basics as far as I remember, please ask if you want to know anything specific.

 

[MyQul]

@simon12 It's just a pleasant day dream (and I'm sure MrsMQ wouldnt be too happy if I did it) But would I be able to register my flat as a brewery and have my front room as a micro pub?

 

[simon12]

@simon12 It's just a pleasant day dream (and I'm sure MrsMQ wouldnt be too happy if I did it) But would I be able to register my flat as a brewery and have my front room as a micro pub?

Its up to the council, technically you would need A4 planning permission where your serving drinks and B2 where you are brewing and an alcohol license which are all unlikely to be granted in a residential property. Sometimes (I have read but haven't seen actual evidence) they will let small operations run without planning, then there still the alcohol license. HMRC would only object if you have a history of tax fraud and the rest is all you just have to conform to X or pay X. But since they are turning all the pubs into flats maybe its time we did the reverse.

 

[simon12]

I just flog it out the front room window.

To children I assume?

 

[MyQul]

Its up to the council, technically you would need A4 planning permission where your serving drinks and B2 where you are brewing and an alcohol license which are all unlikely to be granted in a residential property. Sometimes (I have read but haven't seen actual evidence) they will let small operations run without planning, then there still the alcohol license. HMRC would only object if you have a history of tax fraud and the rest is all you just have to conform to X or pay X. But since they are turning all the pubs into flats maybe its time we did the reverse.

Thanks Simon. Tis all just a dream anyway

 

[lancon]

nuisance neighbour complained to the council and I had to go through planning £400 and then they turned the application down but said I could carry on as it was too small to qualify as a change of use. Still had to pay £400.