The Licensing Sub-Committee of Barnet Council met on Thursday 12 March 2026 and resolved to revoke the premises licence for Snack Buzz & Off Licence. This decision followed a review of the licence due to concerns over the sale of smuggled goods and breaches of licensing conditions.

Snack Buzz & Off Licence Premises Licence Revoked

The Licensing Sub-Committee of Barnet Council has revoked the premises licence for Snack Buzz & Off Licence, located at 19 Ballards Lane, London N3 1UX. The decision was made after a review of the licence, initiated by the London Borough of Barnet Trading Standards authority, citing concerns related to the prevention of crime and disorder and public safety.

The review application, submitted by Karl Schultz, Team Leader for Barnet Trading Standards, highlighted the discovery of smuggled goods, including non-duty paid cigarettes and tobacco products, as well as Kamagra oral jelly (an unlicensed erectile dysfunction treatment). The Trading Standards authority argued that these findings demonstrated significant non-compliance with the law and undermined the licensing objectives.

During the hearing, Elisabeth Hammond, a Senior Licensing Officer for Barnet Council, confirmed that the premises licence was first issued on 14 February 2025, with Ashmeet Singh as the licence holder. She stated that the Licensing Authority supported the review based on public safety, prevention of crime and disorder, and the protection of children.

Karl Schultz presented evidence from an inspection on 19 December 2025, which resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit tobacco and Kamagra. He also noted that the business was operating outside its permitted hours and raised concerns about potential illegal employment. A subsequent inspection on 16 January 2026 uncovered counterfeit UNO and Pokémon cards. Mr. Schultz emphasised that the sale of these goods at below-market prices posed a public nuisance and harmed legitimate businesses.

John Oliver, another Senior Licensing Officer, detailed breaches of licence conditions, including the absence of an incident log, staff training records, notices requesting customers to leave quietly, and a refusal log.

Maninder Kaur, representing Ashmeet Singh, acknowledged the seriousness of the findings and expressed regret. She stated that Mr. Singh had taken immediate action to rectify the failings and that a follow-up visit by Trading Standards on 12 January 2026 found no non-compliance. Ms. Kaur requested an eight-week suspension to implement further compliance measures, including staff training manuals, leave quietly posters, Challenge 25 posters, CCTV signage, and an incident and refusal log book.

However, the Sub-Committee noted that Mr. Singh had undergone training to obtain his personal licence and questioned his claim of ignorance regarding the illegal items. The manner in which the goods were stored – hidden in a microwave and a locked cupboard – suggested an intent to conceal them. The Sub-Committee also heard that a proposed replacement Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) had a recent intelligence entry relating to the sale of illegal tobacco, and that Mr. Singh's father, another proposed replacement, had no experience as a DPS.

The Sub-Committee concluded that modifying the licence conditions or excluding licensable activities would be insufficient. They found that the premises had been trading irresponsibly, with underlying operational issues and a failure to uphold the licensing objectives. The deliberate concealment of smuggled goods and the multiple categories of illegal items sold were considered particularly serious, posing a significant risk to public safety and the prevention of crime and disorder. Consequently, the Sub-Committee resolved to revoke the premises licence.

The decision takes effect after the period for appealing to the Magistrates' Court has expired, or if an appeal is dismissed.