What is Best Bar None?

The Best Bar None scheme is an awards scheme for licensed premises and is currently operating in over 90 locations in the UK.

It was developed in 2001 by Manchester City Centre Safe project to improve alcohol related harm, crime and disorder in the night time economy.

It was felt that in order for progress to be made a new partnership approach was required to enhance and compliment traditional law enforcement activity. The objective of this approach was to provide an incentive for the operators of licensed premises to improve their standards of operation to an agreed national benchmark. A carrot of reward to balance the stick of enforcement.

Best Bar None provides an opportunity for licensees to demonstrate to the official agencies just how well they manage their own businesses and also provides an opportunity for dialogue between the two sides.

The standards outlined by Best Bar None also provide a common reference point for community workers to work with local pubs and clubs in order to tackle alcohol related crime and disorder.

In 2007 an agreement was reached between Greater Manchester Police, the Home Office and BII (the professional body for the licensed retail sector) to develop the scheme nationally.

Areas where the scheme has been implemented has seen a dramatic fall in alcohol related crime and disorder.

Advantages to licensees

• Identifies and rewards responsible operators

• It is a health and safety and crime and disorder check that may assist in future applications under the Licensing Act 2003

• It could mean significant reductions in licensed premises business insurance premiums through a scheme run by BEDA

• It demonstrates that a licensed premises are a responsible operator:

    * To the authorities

    * To the public

           * Local residents

           * Visitors (students)

           * The media

• Creates positive publicity

• Improves the public perception of a town, both locally and nationally

• Raises public awareness of the benefits of choosing to visit a well-run establishment

• Premises gaining accreditation under the scheme have been shown to exhibit higher standards of customer care and experience lower levels of crime and disorder (Alcohol Policy 3.4.06)

Advantages to the community

• Promotes dialogue between official agencies and licensees

• Identifies the good operators from the not so good operators

• Improves knowledge of how a premises is operated in order to deal effectively with issues

• Raises the standards of licensed premises

• Reduces the risk of alcohol related crime and disorder

• Creates consistency in standards between licensed premises on a national level

• Creates a sustainable and efficient method of consistently improving standards