Shrewsbury town centre hotel stripped of alcohol licence after selling booze to under-18s
Shropshire Beers Ltd, which runs the Tumbledown Hotel in Shrewsbury, has lost an appeal to keep its drinks licence
A Shrewsbury town centre hotel has had its licence withdrawn, meaning it can no longer serve alcohol, after it was discovered it failed to protect the public and had been serving booze to under-18s.
Shropshire Beers Ltd, which runs the Tumbledown Hotel in Castle Foregate, appealed a decision made by the Shropshire Council licensing sub-committee in July 2025 to revoke its licence.
But after a hearing at Telford Magistrates Court last Tuesday (June 30) the original decision was upheld.
Working with the council, West Mercia Police officers compiled a case about how the company failed to comply with the conditions of its licence, including properly training staff and lacking measures for the prevention of crime and disorder, and public safety.
The court was told how the Tumbledown Hotel had a lack of safeguarding measures in place to protect customers and vulnerable people, and that officers had discovered alcohol being sold to those under the age of 18.
Further evidence presented at court showed that between July 2025 and June 2026 the company failed to improve in any of the areas which caused the licence to initially be revoked. The decision to revoke the licence means the hotel can remain open but cannot sell alcohol.
PC Steve Mellor, Shropshire’s licensing officer, said: “The failings identified at this premises were wholly unacceptable and demonstrated a sustained disregard for the responsibilities that come with holding a premises licence.
“The sale of alcohol to underage individuals, inadequate staff training, failures in safeguarding vulnerable people, and the breach of licence conditions raised serious concerns for public safety and the prevention of crime and disorder.
“Despite being given opportunities to address these issues, the company failed to make the necessary improvements. Businesses that are licensed to sell alcohol have a legal and moral duty to protect their customers and the wider community, and in this case those standards were simply not met.
“We welcome the court’s decision to uphold the revocation of the licence. This outcome sends a clear message that persistent failures of this nature will not be tolerated, and we will continue to work with our partners to ensure licensed premises operate responsibly and safely across Shropshire.”
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