Oliver`s Wine Bar, Tontine Street 1978 - ????

Licensees

Michael Patten 1978

Folkestone Herald 25-3-1978

Local News

Local publicans put all hands to the pumps this week in a bid to stem Folke­stone's wine bar boom. But their appeal against a drinks licence for a wine bar in Tontine Street, Folkestone, was thrown out at Canterbury Crown Court on Tuesday. Already there is one wine bar in the town, at Church Street, Folkestone, and an­other is planned for Sandgate Road. The publicans say wine bars affect their declining trade.

Mr. Vic Batten, vice-chairman of the Folkestone and District Licensed Vic­tuallers’ Association, and licensee of the Jubilee Inn in Folkestone Harbour, said his trade was affected by some of his customers going to a wine bar. “Folkestone’s popularity is waning and as a result, trade diminishing. I feel there are too many public houses in the town already”, he said.

Mr. Peter Philpott, of the Oddfellows Arms, in The Stade, said he saw no rea­son for a full licence to be granted to the new wine bar.

Mr. David Anderson, of The Clarendon, Tontine Street, said the venture would seriously affect his trade.

The publicans also said that Folkestone has reached saturation point and pubs’ trade is already being affec­ted by supermarkets and other retail outlets.

The application for a drinks licence, granted by Seabrook magistrates, was made by Mr. Michael Pat­ten who runs Oliver’s Discotheque and wants to open Oliver`s Wine Bar in Tontine Street It would be primarily a wine bar, he said, but he would sell other drinks for those who prefer it. “The prices of other drinks would be loaded to encourage people to drink wine and I feel there is a need for such a venture”, he told Mr. Recorder Michael West, Q.C. “We will also provide food, hot and cold, and are satisfying a demand. If I were to find demand for other drinks was greater than wine, it would be em­barrassing and I should have to try to meet these de­mands, but I hope this won’t happen”.

Mr. Recorder West dis­missed the appeal. He said he felt that if someone wanted to use a pub they would do so and the dif­ferent ventures could be complementary to each other.