Fulham Palace Road Deli Granted Licence to 11pm
Gourmet Hound gets extended hours despite neighbours' objections
Gourmet Hound on Fulham Palace Road. Picture: Google Streetview
October 3, 2025
A delicatessen a short walk from Fulham FC’s Craven Cottage stadium has been granted permission to serve alcohol and stay open later into the evening.
Gourmet Hound on Fulham Palace Road, which describes itself as a “fresh concept British deli, cellar and speciality grocer”, was given the green light by Hammersmith and Fulham councillors to extend its closing time from 8pm to 11pm seven-days-a-week.
It can also serve alcohol until the same time other than to customers drinking on the terrace, where there is a 10pm cut-off.
The deli already has an off-licence allowing it to sell select beers, wines and spirits to customers to drink away from the premises.
The Gourmet Hound had initially requested permission to extend its opening hours, and sales of alcohol, to 11pm across the board.
The amended hours, plus a series of conditions, were agreed with the Met Police and the council’s Noise Team.
These included that the premises shall operate primarily as a delicatessen, café, off-licence and grocery store, with the sale of alcohol secondary, and that high-definition CCTV should be installed.
There are also conditions related to when Fulham FC home games are held, such as that three hours before kick-off all drinks sold in the outdoor seating area shall be served in non-glass ‘vessels’.
Two objections were filed by people living in flats above the premises, both of which raised concerns about the potential impact on the mortgage value and a hike in anti-social behaviour (ASB).
The objections, which largely featured the same copy, noted: “As a resident directly above the business, I am deeply concerned about the potential deterioration in living conditions and the sense of safety in my home. I value my home as a quiet and safe space, and this proposal risks undermining that.”
The council’s Noise Team had also initially opposed the plans, though withdrew its representation following the agreed conditions with the police.
Kasi McReddie, representing one of the objectors, Amelia Waldock, told members at last Thursday’s Licensing Sub-Committee meeting (30 September) that the proposed extended hours “significantly increases the likelihood of drunkenness and associated anti-social behaviour in and around the premises”.
She added her friend Ms Waldock has concerns as a female resident, with fears about her safety and comfort if the application was approved.
Jason Van Praagh, one of the founding partners of the licensee and a Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) for Gourmet Hound, said since its opening in 2022 the deli has focussed on “positively impacting the local community”.
He said in the last three-plus years they have had to make a number of changes to ensure the business remains viable and caters to demand, such as adding a breakfast offering to its original function as a takeaway coffee shop and off-licence.
Mr Van Praagh added the application is a continuation of that journey “to try to come up with an offering to meet the requirements of what local customers are looking for”.
Asked by Cllr Jacolyn Daly how the proposed licence would impact her friend’s quality of life, Ms McReddie said the expectation is that she will experience a ‘significant’ rise in noise, adding sleep “won’t be easy to come by”.
Cllr Daly followed by querying whether there are any current issues with noise under the existing licence, to which Ms McReddie said she understood there have been no problems to-date.
Cllr Dominic Stanton asked Mr Van Praagh whether he had engaged in any communication with Ms Waldock, to which he said he did not recognise her name but may have seen her when visiting the premises.
Asked why he had not reached out, Mr Van Praagh said he had carried out activities such as pamphlet drops and spoken with people in the deli.
He added he would happily engage with Ms Waldock, and that regardless of the council’s decision, if there are any issues moving forward he encourages neighbours to talk to the deli.
When summing up he told members, “This is a local business owned by local residents and employed by locals, and so we are locals for locals, and we love our residents and we love Fulham and we want the best for all of that.”
The Committee granted the amended application plus the conditions proposed by the Met Police.
Members also added one of their own, stipulating a “responsible member of staff” is to organise and accommodate meetings to discuss the premises’ operations with residents at least once a year.
Ben Lynch - Local Democracy Reporter