Time called on Cadbury booze ban: Shopkeeper to challenge village alcohol bylaws
FOR 120 years, the good people of Bournville followed the Quaker beliefs of the Cadbury brothers by banning the sale of alcohol.
Kamal Sharma wasn't aware of the ban when he took over the shop
Now a shopkeeper claims the village built by George Cadbury, the chocolate pioneer, has been dry for too long.
Kamal Sharma has applied for permission to sell beer and wine in the quaint Birmingham enclave.
All I am doing is trying to save my business
More than 400 customers have signed a petition backing his plea to sell alcohol from 10am to 9pm on his premises.
Mr Sharma, whose application to sell liquor at Mary Vale News has met with strong opposition, said yesterday: “Everyone wants booze.
“I have a lot of people come in and ask for wine and beer. Most people are shocked I can’t sell it.
“Of course I want what is best for the area. But newsagents in Stirchley, just a few hundred yards from my shop, can sell alcohol. Why is it one rule for them and one for us?”
Mr Sharma, 38, who lives above the shop with his wife and two sons, claims that his business could be under threat if councillors reject the application.
Cadbury creates giant Freddo loom band face
“All I am doing is trying to save my business,” he said.
“When I took over the shop I didn’t know about the ban.
“The Cadbury factory has massively reduced its manpower and the workers there were my main source of business.
“Now I’m starting to struggle. I’ve tried to diversify by selling fruit and vegetables, but no one bought them.”
The village has had anti-alcohol laws in place since its foundations
Cadbury built his “model village” in 1893 to provide homes for the hundreds of workers at his nearby factory.
He insisted that the villagers should respect his belief in temperance and the site has never had its own public house.
Councillors Timothy Huxtable and Rob Sealey claim the latest challenge to Cadbury’s ideals could ruin the village if it succeeds.
Cadbury's headquarters have undergone repairs and refurbishments
They said in a residents’ newsletter: “It will encourage alcohol-aggravated anti-social behaviour.
“If the licence is granted, Bournville will be diminished – no longer able to claim to be a ‘dry’ suburb.
“Bournville’s founder, George Cadbury, intended that Bournville should have no off-licences or pubs.
“We wish to preserve that unique cultural identity for the area.”
Cadbury built accommodation so his workers could live on-site in a Quaker commune