WHY Hospitality®

Hospitality glossary · Compliance and safety

What is a temporary event notice (TEN)?

A temporary event notice, or TEN, lets you sell alcohol, serve hot food or drink late at night, or put on entertainment at a small, short event on premises that are not licensed for it. It applies in England and Wales.

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In practice

Temporary event notice (TEN) in a real operation.

Definitions are easy. What matters is how the thing behaves in a real operation, and where it tends to go wrong.

What it looks like in a UK hospitality business

The event must have fewer than 500 people at all times, staff included, and last no more than 168 hours (7 days). You give the notice to your council as an individual, not as a business, and you must be at least 18. A standard TEN must go in at least 10 clear working days before the event, and the fee is £21. A personal licence holder can give up to 50 TENs a year and anyone else up to 5. One premises can have up to 15 TENs a year, covering no more than 21 days in total. Only the police or environmental health can object.

The mistake operators make

Leaving it until the last week. A late TEN can go in 5 to 9 clear working days before the event, but you only get a few a year (2 without a personal licence, 10 with one), and if the police or environmental health object to a late TEN, the event cannot go ahead. Give the notice as soon as the date is fixed.

Questions

Temporary event notice (TEN), answered.

Something here that doesn’t match what you’re seeing in your own business? That is usually worth a conversation rather than another article.

What does temporary event notice (TEN) mean in hospitality?

A temporary event notice, or TEN, lets you sell alcohol, serve hot food or drink late at night, or put on entertainment at a small, short event on premises that are not licensed for it. It applies in England and Wales. The event must have fewer than 500 people at all times, staff included, and last no more than 168 hours (7 days). You give the notice to your council as an individual, not as a business, and you must be at least 18. A standard TEN must go in at least 10 clear working days before the event, and the fee is £21. A personal licence holder can give up to 50 TENs a year and anyone else up to 5. One premises can have up to 15 TENs a year, covering no more than 21 days in total. Only the police or environmental health can object.

What do operators get wrong about temporary event notice (TEN)?

Leaving it until the last week. A late TEN can go in 5 to 9 clear working days before the event, but you only get a few a year (2 without a personal licence, 10 with one), and if the police or environmental health object to a late TEN, the event cannot go ahead. Give the notice as soon as the date is fixed.

Related terms

Worth reading next.

Premises licence

A premises licence allows a specific building to carry out licensable activities, such as selling alcohol, late-night refreshment or regulated entertainment. It is issued under the Licensing Act 2003 in England and Wales.

Personal licence

A personal licence allows a person to sell alcohol, or to authorise others to sell it, under the Licensing Act 2003 in England and Wales.

Designated premises supervisor (DPS)

A designated premises supervisor, or DPS, is the person named on a premises licence who has day-to-day responsibility for a business that sells alcohol. They must hold a personal licence.

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