It could be an important question for pub owners who will only be allowed to open if they serve meals .
Today has seen a discussion about some of England’s favourite snacks: fries, chips and pork scratchings which do not count as a meal, according to a government minister quizzed on the status of the delicacies.
However for lovers of pasties all is OK for they can will be able to enjoy a pint with their meal as it has been confirmed that a Cornish Pasty with chips or side-salad would amount to a substantial meal.
Quizzed on LBC Radio this morning Housing Minister, Robert Jenrick said: “The test in law is that a substantial meal is the sort of meal that you would expect to have as a midday meal or an evening meal. It would be like a main course, rather than, say, a packet of crisps or a plate of chips.”
He added that many licence-holders would be familiar with the measures as they were similar to previous rules regarding minors.
“If you would expect to go into that restaurant normally, or pub, and order a plated meal at the table of a Cornish pasty with chips or side salad or whatever it comes with, then that’s a normal meal,” he said. “This isn’t actually as unusual a concept as you might feel.
“We’ve had this in law for licence-holders for a long time because it’s the same rule that has applied if you take a minor into a pub.”
