The 2017 Nottingham Best Bar None Scheme has been launched by the Nottingham Business Improvement District (BID) and licensed premises in the city centre are being encouraged to apply.
Best Bar None is a national initiative supported by the Home Office that is designed to acknowledge and reward safe and well run licensed premises. For the last five consecutive years the scheme has been run in Nottingham city centre by the Nottingham BID, which last year saw 75 premises becoming Best Bar None accredited venues.
In order to receive the accreditation, premises have to complete an assessment which demonstrates they have appropriate and effective policies and procedures in place to prove that they are safely operated, particularly in the areas of the protection of children and emergency procedures. It is free for all licensed premises across the city centre to apply for accreditation.
Premises which gain accreditation will receive a bronze, silver or gold award based on their score, in one of the four categories – Pub, Bar, Club and Restaurant, with the highest scoring premises in each category going through to an independent judging panel of licensing professionals. A winner will then be chosen in each category and from these category winners, an overall winner for 2017 will be selected and announced at a special event in September.
Last year a record number of venues secured accreditation – a total of 75, which was a 47% increase on the previous year. The Company Inn at Castle Wharf won the Best Pub category; Cape, now known as Faradays topped the bar category; Volt won the Best Club category and Bistro Live was selected as the winner of the Best Restaurant category.
Andy Crawford, a director of the Nottingham BID, said: “Licensed venues recognise the benefits of securing Best Bar None accreditation. Not only does it acknowledge all the efforts and hard work that they put in to achieving high standards of operation but it also conveys a very positive message that Nottingham is a safe and vibrant place for a night out, encouraging more people to visit. We hope very much that we once again have a record number of venues applying for and gaining the accreditation.”
All the venues that are successful in gaining the accreditation will receive a certificate and a window sticker that they can display to show that they are a Best Bar None accredited venue. They also enjoy a number of benefits including increased footfall and turnover through the safe night time economy the scheme has created, stronger relationships with the police and local authorities and a reduction in the premiums for some insurance policies.
For further information on the scheme or to apply, please email andy@nottinghambid.com
