A popular food hall and outdoor venue wants to be able to serve alcohol throughout the day without the need for guests to order food.

Macknade Food Hall in Faversham has put in a bid to amend its licence, which would allow visitors to go along only to have a drink and mean the venue could put on events like wine tasting for the first time.

Having developed its offering in the past decade, it is hoped that a new, restriction-free licence would offer the capacity to host such events while also allowing the firm to remain focused on its grocery and hospitality core.

Speaking to KentOnline, chief executive Stefano Cuomo said it is just one of many ways Macknade hopes to capitalise on its success and grow the business.

The 45-year-old said: “As a business, it's not a case of just waiting for support; it's a case of being able to think of innovative ideas to be able to provide to customers and the community going forward.

“Our grocery and hospitality is the core, but it's sensing how we can maximise the area to support the kind of magnetic community aspect that we have.

“Often getting people to understand the value of a premium bottle of wine, for example, is easier done through consumption on site who are then able to take that home, whether that's through an event, whether it's through training, whether it's just allowing people to be able to sit here and enjoy a glass.

“Our audience is a particular audience, [the licensing bid] is just for us to make things less complex and make it easier for the guys trading on the site - it's to have that flexibility.”

While Macknade has hosted events in the past, it has often had to be granted one-off licences or be tied in with food in some way.

The current times of the licence will not be changed under the new application which has always been 7am to 12am, with last orders called at 11.30pm.

However, the business wants to “extend” the area to serve alcohol on its entire site as well as removing a condition which states “alcohol for consumption on the premises to be sold in conjunction with food”.

It has a street food market, while there are other businesses on site such as a vet and a gym.

Mr Cuomo added: “You have what you have, and to be perfectly frank, I'd love to be farming, but the reality is we had to give up farming because of the pressures of supermarkets, such as those in the middle of the town.

“We have a fantastic team and we've had customers who've supported us since we started retailing 40-plus years ago.

“People are coming because they like being part of what we do here at Macknade and ultimately it's a people business.”

A consultation has been launched on the Swale Borough Council website with comments required to be submitted by Friday, March 28 to licensing@swale.gov.uk.