Unilever has submitted a bid to sell alcohol at its new South London headquarters, which opened earlier this spring. The consumer goods giant seeks permission to offer alcoholic beverages at networking events held at Sunlight House, located on the newly developed Eden Campus in Kingston town centre. The application, if approved, would allow alcohol sales from 8am to 11pm daily.
Application Details
The application was filed by Sodexo Limited, which manages the site on behalf of Unilever. This move coincides with Unilever's relocation from its previous offices at Lever House on St James Road to the Eden Campus, a major new development in the area. Solicitor Christopher Grunert, representing Sodexo, addressed a licensing hearing to clarify the scope of the request. He emphasised that alcohol would not be part of daily operations or the café menu. Instead, it would be sold exclusively at networking events held a few times each month, typically attended by up to 100 people. Grunert noted that most of these events would conclude well before the 11pm cut-off time.
Track Record and Restrictions
Grunert highlighted the strong licensing history at the St James Road location, stating, 'St James Road has had 20 years of licensing experience with zero complaints, zero compliance issues.' He also pointed to Sodexo's recent use of temporary event notices at the Eden Campus without incident. Under the proposed licence, alcohol sales would be restricted to directors, partners, employees of Unilever and its associated companies, as well as invited guests attending private functions on the premises.
Development Background
The Eden Campus development began with the demolition of disused buildings to make way for two office blocks—one 10 storeys and the other eight storeys tall—along with a multi-storey car park. Initially planned as Unilever's global headquarters, the company later confirmed it would only occupy the eight-storey building, which serves as its new UK and Ireland base. The other block is now being sublet. The council granted outline permission for a second phase in 2021, which originally included a 16-storey apartment block. However, developer Cube Real Estate has since proposed two taller towers on the site, featuring 272 co-living and affordable homes. The developer is finalising these plans before submitting a formal application to the council for approval.
The council is expected to announce its decision on the alcohol licence application in the coming days.
