The Licensing Sub-Committee of Wandsworth Council met on Thursday 3 September 2026 to consider a review of the premises licence for Stonehenge Food and Wine. The committee considered evidence and submissions regarding the review application.

Review of Stonehenge Food and Wine Premises Licence

The Licensing Authority applied for a review of the premises licence for Stonehenge Food and Wine, located at 7 Lower Richmond Road, London, SW15 1EJ, on the grounds that the licence holder had failed to uphold the licensing objectives of preventing crime and disorder and protecting children from harm.

John McGann, Senior Licensing Officer for the Regulatory Services Partnership, presented the case, highlighting two failed test purchases for underage sales conducted by the council's trading standards team. The first occurred on 17 April 2026, when a 16-year-old volunteer was sold a bottle of Guinness Foreign Extra Stout (7.5% ABV) without being asked for identification. This sale also breached a licence condition prohibiting the sale of single beers, lagers, or ciders above 6% ABV. Following this, a licensing inspection on 22 April 2026 identified numerous breaches, including CCTV failures, no incident log, no training records, no Challenge 25 signage, no refusals register, and the sale of prohibited high-strength single cans. A formal warning letter was issued.

Despite this, a second test purchase on 24 June 2026 resulted in the sale of a bottle of Peroni lager (5% ABV) to an underage volunteer. A further inspection on 30 June 2026 found that the same breaches from the previous inspection remained unresolved. A third inspection on 25 August 2026, after the review application had been submitted, still revealed significant breaches. Mr. McGann emphasised that advice and informal interventions had been exhausted, and that the repeated underage sales, persistent licence breaches, and lack of engagement with enforcement authorities justified the revocation of the licence.

Mr. Abdul Hamid Hamidi, the premises licence holder, stated that he lacked experience in running such a business and that the first underage sale was not his responsibility, but that of the previous Designated Premises Supervisor, Mr. Naeem Sadegi. He admitted the second sale was his mistake, explaining that the underage individual had previously visited with their mother. Mr. Hamidi expressed a desire to cease selling alcohol, preferring to operate as a grocery shop.

Councillor Charlie Fisher asked if there had been any improvement in the identified breaches, to which Mr. McGann responded that only the CCTV operation had seen one improvement by the third visit. Councillor Samantha Lewis inquired about reports of the premises operating outside allotted hours, which Mr. McGann explained were difficult to investigate initially due to CCTV issues.

The subcommittee also heard from Waqar Abbasi and Alex Peters, who submitted representations in support of the review. Mr. Abbasi, a local business owner, stated he had observed the premises selling alcohol until 3 am, causing noise and anti-social behaviour. Alex Peters, a local resident, echoed concerns about underage sales and noted personally observing alcohol sales beyond permitted hours.

After considering all the evidence and submissions, the Licensing Sub-Committee reviewed the application for the premises licence for Stonehenge Food and Wine. The decision reasons and any legal guidance will be confirmed in writing within five working days, along with information on appeal rights.