Talk:General cider making issues

From Ukcider

Having done a lot of hunting around on the web, and discussed this with several small-scale cidermakers, I don't believe there is any neccesity to hold a personal licence if you are only wholesaling to other licence holders. All of the information I've seen regarding the course and exam, which are a prerequisite of getting a personal licence, indicate to me that this is aimed at the people actually selling alcoholic drinks to end-users, ie. publicans, farmers market stall holders, those retailing from their premises etc. If you're not selling direct to the public, you don't need a licence, though it's obviously important to know that the person you are wholesaling to holds one. - Mark

Please edit the main article to this effect then, maybe with a disclaimer that this is "to the best of our knowlege" if not 100% certain. --Andy 10:06, 26 July 2008 (BST)

In all honesty, opinion on licencing appears to be far from 100% certain, and open to interpretation by both holders and officials. At the very least it is pretty complicated and I would be happier if the section on licences simply stated something to the effect that a personal licence is required by cidermakers to retail their produce, though there are many additional caveats and complications outside the role of a wiki to explain. A wiki is not neccesarily the place for lay folk to be posting what are in effect opinions on complex legalise. A link to a government website with details would be useful, but I haven't managed to find one yet! What do you think? - Mark