Liquor licence suspended for Wellington New World supermarket after alcohol sold to teenager

New World Metro on Wellington's Willis St in the CBD has lost its liquor licence for five days. Photo / Google Maps

A Wellington CBD supermarket has lost its liquor licence for five days after being caught selling alcohol to a teenager in a police sting.

New World Metro on Willis St was taken to the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority by police in late June after a controlled purchase operation that month.

Police were successful in their application and the supermarket’s off-licence is to be suspended from August 20 until August 25.

The manager, Daniel Hay, has also lost his certificate for 28 days from August 25 until September 21.

Courtney Grocer, which owns the New World Metro supermarket, did not oppose the application.

A police spokesman said 10 licensed locations were visited as part of the sting operation, with the New World supermarket the only premises to fail.

The supermarket’s alcohol department would be cordoned off during the suspension.

A Foodstuffs spokesman said its stores have “strong internal processes in place” to meet legal requirements.

“We’re disappointed these standards haven’t been met on this occasion,” the spokesman said.

“We’re working with the store to reinforce team training and compliance to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”

The supermarket first opened on the city’s golden mile in 2002 and was recently taken over by new owners.

It is currently undergoing a “modern refresh” with new self-checkouts, polished concrete flooring and shelving.

The supermarket's alcohol department will be cordoned off for five days. Photo / Greg Bowker

This licensing bust follows an operation in South Taranaki where six of eight premises recently failed alcohol compliance checks.

Police did not name the outlets that were part of the controlled purchase operation (CPO) or their location in the district.

“Only two premises requested identification, correctly identified the age of the minor and politely declined the sale,” South Taranaki area response manager Senior Sergeant Andrew Russ said.

CPOs are planned operations that monitor and enforce the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 by using supervised volunteers, aged under 18, to attempt to buy alcohol from licensed premises.

Liquor licensing has long been a point of contention in the capital, with bar operators taking issue with a police approach they consider overzealous.

Wellington bar owner Jose Ubiaga, who recently faced a suspension, blamed liquor licensing opposition for having to liquidate two of his Courtenay Place bars last year.

He had to close his bar The Residence for 48 hours last month after its licence was suspended for promoting two-for-one drinks on a chalkboard inside the property that could be seen from the footpath outside.

The sign at the Residence Bar on Wellington's Courtenay Place advertising two-for-one happy hour drinks was found in breach of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act.

Ubiaga, who has been operating bars on Courtenay Place for 20 years, said the council’s licensing team have “got a bee in their bonnet about me”.

Hospitality New Zealand CEO Steve Armitage told Newstalk ZB Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills on Monday the “hurdles” Wellington operators face for liquor licensing are different to those in other centres.

“What we would like to see is just some consistency, it shouldn’t have regional variation,” Armitage said.

He said he has raised the issue with Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston.

Ethan Manera is a New Zealand Herald journalist based in Wellington. He joined NZME in 2023 as a broadcast journalist with Newstalk ZB and is interested in local issues, politics, and property in the capital. He can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz.