Hotel Steyne Manly: former licensee fined after minor served alcohol

The former licensee of Manly’s popular Steyne Hotel has been penalised from the state’s liquor watchdog after a teenage minor was seen drinking alcohol and playing poker machines at the venue.

The former licensee of Manly’s popular Steyne Hotel has been penalised by the state’s liquor watchdog after a 17-year-old minor was seen drinking alcohol and playing poker machines at the venue.

The NSW Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority has imposed “two strikes” to the venue’s now former licensee Christopher David Limbrick after the teenage boy was served alcohol last October.

The strikes were issued as part of the “three strikes and you’re out” disciplinary scheme which came into force in 2012 and can lead to the permanent closure of a licensed venue.

The Liquor and Gaming authority told the Manly Daily its investigation into the hotel was prompted by a referral from police which fined Mr Limbrick $1100 over the October incident.

Police also issued warnings to the minor who was seen entering the hotel and ordering alcohol without producing ID.

The venue’s former licensee was issued two strikes.

The teen was also seen by police playing gaming machines at the venue.

Liquor and Gaming said the referral from police claimed that a staff member allegedly involved in serving the minor told police in an interview that no responsible service of alcohol training around minors had been provided by the hotel.

The incident occurred in October last year.

The Manly Daily contacted the venue’s current licensee and Iris Capital – which owns the Hotel Steyne – for comment but did not receive a response.

An Independent Liquor & Gaming Authority spokeswoman said the authority was considering taking remedial action against either the former licensee or the venue.

The decision to impose the strikes comes four months after Liquor and Gaming NSW imposed separate regulatory action on the venue including a ban on use of the second floor balcony after 10pm on Friday and Saturday nights in response to “anti-social behaviour at the venue”.

Liquor and Gaming NSW director of investigations David Byrne said anti-social behaviour included patrons throwing items from a second-floor balcony onto the Corso pedestrian strip.

The latest regulatory action is not the first time the venue has come under the eye of Liquor and Gaming for serving alcohol to minors after it was forced to shut down for a week after selling alcohol to underage patrons in 2016.