Weights and measures: the law
Specified quantities
Some goods must be sold in fixed sizes known as ‘specified quantities’.
Alcohol
There are different rules depending on whether you’re selling by the glass or bottle.
By the glass
| Measures | |
|---|---|
| Still wine | 125ml, 175ml, multiples of 125ml and 175ml |
| Port, sherry or other fortified wine | 50ml, 70ml, multiples of 50ml or 70ml |
| Gin, rum, vodka and whisky | Either 25ml and multiples of 25ml, or 35ml and multiples of 35ml (not both on the same premises) |
| Draught beer and cider | Third, half, two-thirds of a pint and multiples of half a pint |
There are no specified quantities for sparkling wine or yellow wine by the glass or spirits other than gin, rum, vodka and whisky.
Packaged in bottles, boxes or similar
| Volume by millilitre (ml) | |
|---|---|
| Still wine | 100, 187, 250, 375, 500, 750, 1000, 1500 |
| Yellow wine | 620 |
| Sparkling wine | 125, 200, 375, 750, 1500 |
| Fortified wine | 100, 200, 375, 500, 750, 1000, 1500 |
| Spirit drinks | 100, 200, 350, 500, 700, 1000, 1500, 1750, 2000 |
You can sell packaged alcohol in any volume if it’s below the minimum or above the maximum allowed for specified quantities.
| Minimum (ml) | Maximum (ml) | |
|---|---|---|
| Still wine | 100 | 1500 |
| Yellow wine | 100 | 1500 |
| Sparkling wine | 125 | 1500 |
| Fortified wine | 100 | 1500 |
| Spirit drinks | 100 | 2000 |
There are no specified quantities for packaged beer or cider.
Solid fuel
You can sell sealed bags of solid fuel in any size you wish but if you’re selling it loose, you can only sell it in quantities of:
- 25kg
- 50kg
- multiples of 50kg