Mulled wine banned at town's festive market by 'anti-Christmas' council

Victoria Bell
Updated
Christmas holidays atmosphere, cold winter day. Warming mood. Mulled wine with cranberry, cinnamon, orange and anise.
Christmas holidays atmosphere, cold winter day. Warming mood. Mulled wine with cranberry, cinnamon, orange and anise.

A Christmas market vendor has been told that he cannot sell mulled wine at his pop-up stall this year as the festive tipple has been banned by the council.

The authority has been branded “anti-Christmas” after their decision over fears that it would encourage street drinking.

Glenn Davison applied for a temporary licence to sell mulled wine at an annual Christmas market in Castleford, West Yorkshire last week.

However Wakefield council blocked the bid because they felt that street drinkers would take advantage.

“It’s not so much the council, it’s the authorities and the police who’ve blocked it, he told Yahoo news.

“It doesn’t make much sense. Every other town has mulled wine at their Christmas markets.

"I don't think street drinkers will be interested in the mulled wine I'm selling," Mr Davison told the BBC.

"It is very weak. It's about 2%, so you'd have to drink about six glasses to feel any effect,"

Mr Davison, a former winner of Channel 4’s Come Dine With Me from Hull, said it was the first time in 15 years his application had been rejected and accused the council of being “anti-Christmas”.

Blur Festival food festival as a background image of the product.
Blur Festival food festival as a background image of the product.

Parts of Castleford town are covered by a public spaces protection order (PSPO), introduced in 2017, which restricts the consumption of alcohol in a public space.

Anyone who breaks it could face an on-the-spot fine and police can seize their alcohol.

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Although Mr Davison’s stall is outside this order, the police advised at the licensing hearing, held on Friday, that the stall would be too close to where the PSPO is in force.

They said that no access restrictions would be in place around the stalls, unlike at other Christmas markets where visitors can drink alcohol only within a gated area.

Mr Davison was planning to sell non-alcoholic mulled wine at the event but has told Yahoo news that he will not be setting up a stall anymore due to extenuating circumstances.