Tibbs Farm cafe near Rye secures alcohol licence

On Tuesday (January 31), a Rother District Council licensing panel considered an application for a premises licence at Tibbs Farm Café in Udimore Road near Rye.

Applicant Philip Wheeler said the proposal was intended to help strengthen the link between the cafe and his family’s hop farming business and improve the viability of both.

He said: “We already grow, in a year, a good amount of our own produce [and] a genuine farm to fork ethos is very much at the heart of what we do at Tibbs and we feed as much of this through the cafe and farm shop as we can. The premises licence will also allow us to bring the hop [growing] enterprise into this fold.

“Our family has been growing hops for over 300 years, with continuity. The industry has seen some very difficult years and there are only approximately 50 growers left in the country. The covid pandemic has placed further pressure on the industry and we are very much in the situation now where the future of the hop industry hangs in the balance.

“A premises licence will be the first step in helping future proof our hop-growing enterprise.”

The licence sought would have allowed the business to make both on and off site sales between 9am and 11pm, seven days a week. Mr Wheeler said it was not his intention to regularly keep these hours, but it was desired to have the ‘flexibility’ to hold evening events on some occasions.

Ultimately, however, the panel did not agree to grant these hours in full, limiting the sale of alcohol to between 9am and 9pm. Notably, the cafe’s planning permission currently limits sales from the cafe to no later than 6pm.

The panel said the reduced hours had been made in recognition of concerns from Toby Butler, the cafe’s immediate neighbour.

Mr Butler said he had existing issues with the noise from the premises and feared the sale of alcohol would exacerbate the problem. He also raised concerns about the potential for the business becoming a rural events venue in the future.

For his part, Mr Wheeler disputed Mr Butler’s concerns and even alleged that the objection had been ‘made out of spite’.

Unusually, the panel had also heard from a supporter of the application, that being Gary Quinnell, chairman of Udimore Parish Council and another of the farm’s neighbours.

Cllr Quinell said the application had widespread support among the village — pointing to a survey conducted on a Facebook Group he had set up for Udimore residents. He also said the parish council had held an extraordinary meeting to discuss the licensing application ahead of the hearing, during which it expressed support for the proposals.

No concerns had been raised by responsible authorities, such as Sussex Police or the council’s environmental health team, as conditions were agreed prior to the hearing.

These included a limitation that alcohol could only be served to seated customers while food is available for sale.

Another condition would require the premises to control its noise levels — including from deliveries — in an effort to prevent disturbances to neighbours.