Why can’t U18’s serve alcohol in bars and supermarkets without an adult overseeing?

You pipped me at the post Blossoming.

This:

www.gov.uk/alcohol-young-people-law

... if you’re 16 or 17 and accompanied by an adult, you can drink (but not buy) beer, wine or cider with a meal.

The horse’s mouth:-

www.gov.uk/alcohol-young-people-law

At 16 you can buy alcohol in a restaurant with a meal.

So a 16 yr old can buy his 12 yr old girlfriend (or boyfriend) alchohol in a restaurant legally.

Both of those statements are wrong.

The law changed since my licensing days an adult needs to be present, ie someone over 18.

Bar or Off License which supermarkets are

“ they are allowed at that age to consume alcohol if their parents are with them. ”

Incorrect

18 yr rule only applies to a “Bar”
At 16 you can buy alcohol in a restaurant with a meal.
The is no minimum drinking age - giving alcohol to a young child is an abuse crime not licensing.
So a 16 yr old can buy his 12 yr old girlfriend (or boyfriend) alchohol in a restaurant legally.

One reason being that they would serve it to their mates, also underage, as happened for a time in our local supermarket before Tesco's took it over.
Underage teenagers would try and bully their underage friends to serve them, appealing to the other assistants that they were over eighteen. One girl was insisting that she was over eighteen until she turned round and saw me; as she had been in my year 6 class, aged 11 four years previously, it didn't work.
Incidentally. many of these teenagers were brandishing money given by their parents 'to go out and don't come back until after 10 o'clock, so we can have some peace.'
No doubt the teenagers exploited by rich and powerful men.

This article from Drinkaware explains the laws around children and alcohol. Personally I don’t think it would be a good idea. Children and alcohol are not a good mix, and under 18s are still children.

www.drinkaware.co.uk/facts/alcohol-and-the-law/the-law-on-alcohol-and-under-18s

Because that’s what the licensing laws say no other reason, same applies in supermarkets for booze and cigarettes as well as a few other specified items.

The law may be an ass but I wouldn’t want children in charge of a bar.