Future of Brecon Food and Wine at Stake

A licence application for Brecon Food and Wine, in The Parade, Brecon Road, Woodley, will be heard by Wokingham Borough Council's licensing and appeals sub-committee on Monday 15 June.

The shop's licence was revoked in May last year after Trading Standards found evidence of serious breaches, including the sale of vodka to a 12-year-old and alcohol to a 14-year-old, plus counterfeit and duty-unpaid alcohol.

In October 2024, 16 bottles of Glens Vodka were seized and found to be "injurious to health". A further 12 bottles of Smirnoff Vodka were seized and found to have no duty paid.

Glenda Cameron-Lloyd, from the Public Protection Partnership, told councillors in May 2025: "A clear picture is presented of the management and operation of the business failing to comply with expectations in the law."

At the time, premises licence holder Mr Kulbir Singh Kapoor admitted offences over counterfeit and unsafe alcohol and received financial penalties totalling £9,029. His solicitor said revoking the licence would "cause severe economic hardship," and called the shop "a critical source of income for Mr Kapoor and his family", but councillors found safeguards ineffective.

councillor Rebecca Margetts said: "You're not actually addressing the actual issue of what's going on here - you can record the practice - but that's not actually stopping the practice that's going on, which is happening from the actual staff within the shops."

An attempt to reintroduce alcohol sales under new management was rejected on 3 March. Prospective owner Vivek Bohara had proposed age verification, CCTV and staff training.

Rachel Lucas, legal adviser to the council's licensing team, told councillors: "We have no confidence that granting this application would result in responsible or lawful alcohol sales." Representing Mr Bohara, Manpreet Kapoor said: "The decision should not be based on the previous mistakes of the previous licence holder."

The hearing on 15 June will decide whether Brecon Food and Wine can regain permission to sell alcohol, more than a year after its licence was revoked.

Ted O'Neill, Local Democracy Reporter