There needs to be a training package completed for all new bar staff - and they all have to be over 18 years of age to serve alcohol. The training has to be issued, a test given, and the results recorded and signed off by a personal licence holder. It’s not like when I learned the bar trade where it was just chucked in on a quiet night with someone who knew what they were doing and got straight into it.
The biggest issue is finding the people who want the work in the first place. Its about 3-4 hours of casual labour on a Saturday afternoon, which unfortunately has a very small pool of people available and wanting to work at those times. Even if you bump the wages up and try and increase the price of the product to pay for it, I can guarantee there will be outrage on many forums/social media giving it “I’m not paying £x.xx for a pint of fkking xxxx”. All in all, it’s a tough spot for the club to try and fill on such an irregular occurrence.
Not sure there’s any evidence that Mr Cook or whoever don’t want it open. Even if it was just for PR. Probably in fact the opposite. It’s better to have folk whinging about the price of a pint when they’re drinking in your place, rather than sitting somewhere else whinging about not being able to get one at all.