The Licensing and Appeals Hearings Sub Committee of Wokingham Council met on Monday 15 June 2026 and decided to reject an application for a new premises licence for Brecon Food and Wine.

Application for a New Premises Licence for Brecon Food and Wine

The committee considered an application for a new premises licence for Brecon Food and Wine, located at 1 The Parade, Brecon Road, Woodley, RG5 4PS. The application sought permission for the sale of alcohol between 07:00 and 23:00, Monday to Sunday, with the premises also opening during these hours.

The application was brought before the committee due to representations received from Trading Standards and Thames Valley Police. These objections highlighted significant concerns regarding the applicant's ability to uphold the four licensing objectives: the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance, and the protection of children from harm.

Trading Standards reported that during a compliance visit on 8 May 2026, several measures outlined in the operating schedule were not being implemented. These included a lack of staff training and incomplete records, staff being unable to operate the CCTV system, and invoices for alcohol purchases still being in the name of the former licence holder, Mr Kulbir Singh Kapoor. The report from Trading Standards stated, It is Mr SINGH's responsibility to have in place sufficient systems to prevent criminal offences from occurring, by not having sufficient systems in place Mr SINGH is not acting responsibly. ¹ They further noted that the applicant, Mr Gaganpreet Singh, does not have the knowledge or understanding to meet all four licensing objectives.

Thames Valley Police also raised objections, noting that on 24 April 2026, staff at the premises allegedly sold alcohol to underage persons and that incomplete CCTV footage had been provided when requested.

The committee heard that the previous licence for Brecon Food and Wine had been revoked on 27 May 2025 due to the undermining of the licensing objectives related to the prevention of crime and disorder and the protection of children from harm. The former licence holder, Mr Kulbir Singh Kapoor, had also faced prosecution for selling counterfeit and unsafe alcohol, resulting in fines totalling £3,800.

Despite the applicant, Mr Gaganpreet Singh, providing a management agreement with Mr Kulbir Singh Kapoor and stating that previous management involved with Mr Kapoor would be banned from the premises, the concerns raised by the responsible authorities were substantial. The committee was presented with evidence of ongoing issues, including alleged sales of age-restricted products to minors and a lack of adequate training for staff, including the applicant himself.

After considering all the representations and evidence, the Licensing and Appeals Hearings Sub Committee rejected the application for the new premises licence.