Best Bar One Reaches 21

Twenty one licensed premises are set to take part in the National Best Bar None 2011 Awards following a launch on Wednesday 22nd June at a breakfast within The Room.

The launch was hosted by Inverness BID Chairperson Craig Duncan and attended by Provost Gray, as well as a number of invited guests including city centre licensee, members of the Inverness Community Safety Partnership and other agencies.

Chief Inspector James Neil, Northern Constabulary, Protective Services, said ‘This is the sixth year of these awards and I am delighted that 21 premises have expressed their interest in taking part this year. These awards make a significant contribution in ensuring that our public and visitors can safely enjoy all the  entertainment and hospitality Inverness has to offer.’

Matt Ronan of the Scottish Business Crime Centre who is the National BBN coordinator said, ‘This year saw the first National Best Bar None Awards, where all regional Gold award winners went through the overall finals. The three Inverness Gold Winners performed well and will have another opportunity this year to pick up a national Award.  We are pleased that Diageo continue to sponsor the local awards and now also the national awards. The Best Bar None website was launched earlier this year where you will find a map of all the award winners in Scotland. It will give people a central place to easily find Best Bar None awarded bars and pubs, as well as keeping them up to date with the latest news.’

The scheme focuses on safety and customer care, and gives each licensed venue the opportunity to prove it meets a standard of operation set in consultation with the government and alcohol industry at a national level.

Best Bar None demonstrates to the public, visitors and local residents that licensees are responsible operators as well as raising public awareness of the benefits of choosing to visit a well-run establishment.

The assessments, which are carried out by independent assessors in the fields of Fire Safety, Crime Prevention and Environmental Health, will take place in October and November with the Award ceremony being planned for early January 2012.