Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Opposition at plan to serve ‘guerilla’ food in bar garden
‘It’s a concept popular in London. There are no plates or cutlery’
A city bar owner says she is mystified by opposition to her plans to stay open later and serve food in the garden at night.
Businesswoman Angela Long hopes to offer ‘guerilla-style’ barbecue food in an extended garden area at the Loft in St Margaret’s Street, Canterbury – but insists it will not be served to take away.
She is also seeking to push back closing times to 3am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Critics say the changes will heap further misery on longsuffering city centre residents who routinely complain of being blighted by drunkenness and anti-social behaviour.
But Ms Long has hit back, saying the changes would merely increase choice for her customers without causing additional problems for people living nearby.
She points out that other bars in the city centre – includ- ing Alberry’s across the road – already have 3am closing.
“People seem to think I want to open a takeaway – that’s simply not the case,” she said. “We’re proposing ‘guerrilla-style takeaway’ – it’s a concept that’s popular in London in places like Hackney’s Broadway Market.
“You serve the food without plates or cutlery in bio-degradable containers. It’s to be eaten on the premises. Our kitchen is next to the garden and people could order food through a hatch.”
Ms Long’s proposals would see Monday to Wednesday closing times extended to 2.30am from 12.30am. Thursdays already have a 2.30am close.
On Fridays and Saturdays she is seeking to extend closing by half-an-hour to 3am while Sundays would remain an 11pm close. We want an extra halfhour on Fridays and Saturdays – we won’t necessarily use it. We want it as a cushion, that’s all,” she said.
The proposals have met with considerable opposition. Some complaints concern the belief that Ms Long plans to serve takeaway food – something she categorically denies.
Other objectors say increased garden capacity with customers eating outside will exacerbate noise problems for those whose homes are nearby.
They say that extending the licensing hours will also add to problems of anti-social behaviour in the city centre after closing time.
Canterbury City Council’s licensing committee will decide the matter tomorrow (Friday).
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