Recent amendments continue to extend B.C.’s liquor laws, now allowing catering companies to obtain their own liquor licenses.
This gives people hosting an event the chance to have their caterer provide liquor at their functions.
In the past it was the event hosts rather than the caterers who needed to obtain a special occasion licence, take the Serving It Right course, purchase and transport the liquor and accept liability for liquor service at the event. Now, those responsibilities can fall to catering companies on behalf of their clients.
“This change will make it easier to have liquor service at catered events, which is something both catering companies and their customers want,” says Rich Coleman, minister of energy, mines and natural gas.
“Licensing caterers also helps support the hospitality industry by strengthening B.C.’s tourism appeal and making B.C. an appealing event destination.”
Existing licensed establishments such as restaurants, hotels, and conference centres now also have the ability to supply liquor at catered events held at offsite locations. For example, an outdoor wedding could be catered with full liquor service by the couple’s favourite restaurant, or an out-of-town convention could retain a single catering company to provide both food and liquor to their conference delegates.
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