Gary Grant Licensing Lawyer Direct access Licensing Barrister Licensing Lawyers Licensing Barristers 

February 2016

In an incident widely reported in the national press, on 28 August 2015 an award-winning London restaurateur was seen pointing a decommissioned shotgun at passing vehicles in the King’s Road outside his "Rabbit" restaurant in Chelsea.

The restaurateur also operates the much feted "Shed" restaurant in Notting Hill. Both restaurants are within the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC).

Licensing police at RBKC instigated a summary review of both licences held by Rabbit and The Shed restaurants. The licensing authority declined to revoke the licences but instead imposed various conditions including, most importantly, a total prohibition on the restaurateur entering his own restaurants.

The decision was appealed to Westminster Magistrates’ Court. Detailed expert evidence obtained by the appellant's legal team  confirmed that the restaurateur's return to his restaurants would promote the licensing objectives.

After detailed consideration of the expert eviidence, RBKC agreed to compromise the appeal allowing the restaurateur back into his restaurants.

Gary Grant of Francis Taylor Building appeared for the restaurateur, both in the summary review proceedings and on appeal, instructed by Julian Skeens and Luke Elford of TLT Solicitors.