Best Bar None - the UK's national awards scheme for best practice in the licensed trade

Walsall police and partners are celebrating the success of the Best Bar None scheme following an awards evening last week.

Bars and clubs working to make Walsall a safer place have been honoured at the borough’s first ever Best Bar None Awards.

Licensees were recognised for their work in helping to reduce alcohol-related crime and for their willingness to work with police and other authorities.

The scheme has been hailed a great success and there are now hopes it will become an annual event.

The aim of the awards was to bring the police, fire service, Walsall Council and pubs and clubs together to raise standards in the licensing trade.

The scheme was supported by Walsall Police Community Safety Team, Safer Walsall Partnership, West Midlands Fire Service, Walsall Town Centre Management Partnership and other agencies.

BBN will be holding a parliamentary reception on Thursday 07 May 2009 at the House of Commons, London.

With thanks to Anne Begg MP who is kindly hosting the reception and Bacardi Brown-Forman who has generously sponsered the event.

Alcohol and its responsible retail is very high on the political agenda. With government and the opposition focusing on the mandatory code, minimum pricing and alcohol retailing in general, it is crucial to showcase BBN as part of the solution and a key partner in delivering on their objectives.

The event will bring together successful responsible retailing projects and BBN award winners from around the UK, and will be attended by a number of MPs, policy makers and wider stakeholders.

The scheme has already been adopted successfully in neighbouring North Somerset and Bristol. Pubs and clubs who go over and above their legal duty could win a prestigious award under the scheme.

The sort of things award-winning licensees have done include:

• offering a safe area for customers to wait for transport
• giving great staff training
• improving first aid facilities and
• showing consideration for the local environment.

Best Bar None (BBN) schemes across the country are widening their scope to include more than just pubs, bars and clubs. A number of schemes, including Birmingham, have introduced a hotel category to recognise their important place in the licensed retail sector.

BBN is used, not just as a solution to alcohol related issues, but also as a way of promoting the night time economy in town centres by highlighting safe and well run venues. It is important that the categories reflect the nature of the local area and for many hotels are a key feature. For example Birmingham is renowned as an international conference centre with the NEC and the Motorcycle Museum amongst many conference venues in and around the city.