A HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED beer garden was denied a booze licence for its grand opening for over five hours due to safety concerns.

Licencing chiefs have now granted the Cranside Kitchen at the Rotunda in Finnieston a licence to sell alcohol after temporary structures were made safe.

Thought to be the largest beer garden in Glasgow, Cranside Kitchen opened at 10am yesterday but punters were unable to purchase alcohol for nearly five and a half hours upon opening after the council’s building standards team withheld its licence to sell alcohol until temporary outdoor tents met the city’s standards.

One disappointed man, who did not wish to be named, got down early for a pint but had to settle for some food and a soft drink.

He said: “I was hoping to get a beer but I’m happy enough with a bit of scran and a Coke.”

Customers at the Cranside Kitchen were able to enjoy breakfast and a dry brunch, with the outlet offering food from five of Glasgow’s most renowned restaurants including Rioja, Halloumi, Pickled Ginger, Kilmurry & Co, and La Rotunda with a single drinks and desserts menu.

READ MORE: Hootenanny's beer garden queued out for lunchtime drinks

A spokesman for Glasgow city council said: “The issue was that the temporary structures that have been installed required further ballast to make them safe and that work has now been undertaken.

“Sign-off on the safety of a temporary structure is required for a licence to be issued.”

Restaurateur Toni Carbajosa said: “Due to unforeseen circumstances out-with our control, earlier today we were unable to serve alcohol on site. We worked with the relevant authorities on finalising our licence and we are delighted that this afternoon all was resolved and customers could enjoy a cold beer in the gardens.

“Cranside Kitchen has had over 3000 bookings since our bookings went live last week and we can’t wait to welcome customers to our new outdoor restaurant and beer garden”

Owners of the Cranside Kitchen had been heralding the launch of the new beer garden as the largest in the city ahead of its opening on Monday.

READ MORE: 'Please do something! ': Residents urge action on cinema 'car cruisers'

The pub was granted an alcohol licence by the council at around 3.20pm yesterday after efforts to ensure the safety of outdoor structures, put up to keep customers dry in the unpredictable Scottish weather.

In line with the Scottish government’s relaxation of lockdown rules, pubs with outdoor seating were able to open to customers yesterday for the first time since March.