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Belushi's in Camden High Street |
Hostel go-ahead for 24-hour booze
Backpacker bar becomes first in Camden Town to be granted round-the-clock alcohol licence
ROUND-THE-CLOCK drinking has been made legal for the first time in Camden Town after a backpackers hostel was granted a 24-hour booze licence.
For the price of a bunk-bed at under £10 a night, revellers at Belushi’s in Camden High Street can park themselves at the bar and drink some of the venue’s specialist cocktails, including “Slippery Nipples” and “Screaming Orgasms”. While it is open to the public, the extended bar will only be available for guests.
Beds and Bars, the company which runs Belushi’s, which has up to now been popular with Australian backpackers and students attracted by cheap prices, saw its application approved during a short hearing at the Town Hall on Thursday night. Licensing chiefs accepted the chain had a good safety record and had worked closely with police to uphold their zero tolerance to drugs policy.
Police officers withdrew an initial objection to the proposal.
Beds and Bars told the panel that in the future they expect their clientele to be businessmen and couples.
Retail development manager Garth Jackson said: “It’s a diverse profile of guests. Ten years ago it would have been 18-year-old Australians or Americans. Now we have business guests and European couples.”
Mr Jackson said tourists are attracted to Camden Town for its musical heritage and said he expected them to book a night in Belushi’s to take advantage of its proximity to pop venues and the Koko nightclub in Mornington Crescent.
But their bid to host all-night screenings of sporting events from the other side of the world – such as Australian rugby and football matches – was rejected. Licensing chiefs said the events should be subject to temporary applications.
The bar’s attempt to push back its closing hour to the public on Bank Holidays was also turned down.
Speaking afterwards, Mr Jackson said he was “quite happy” with the decision. He added: “I’m a little disappointed about the Bank Holidays although I understand why they didn’t grant the sporting events. It was a bit ambiguous.”
Belushi’s will serve drinks in plastic glasses after 11pm and the doors will close to the public at midnight.
Conservative councillor Kirsty Roberts, chairwoman of the committee, said: “With the withdrawal of the police objection and with the reduced capacity I feel this could be a positive application.”
She suggested the bar should apply for the sports matches – which start anytime between 3am and 7am – separately through the temporary event system.
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