The Best Bar None Awards are held annually, organised by Nottingham Business Improvement District (BID), to promote the responsible and effective management and operation of licensed premises in Nottingham.
A record 116 establishments within Nottingham city centre were successful in gaining Best Bar None accreditation this year, which means that Nottingham has the largest number of accredited venues in the country.
The Nottingham BID has been running the Nottingham scheme since 2010 and for the third consecutive year, it is sponsored by Nottingham based specialist licensing law firm Poppleston Allen.
To achieve Best Bar None status, venues have to demonstrate that they have the correct policies and procedures in place to prove that they are safe, responsible and well operated, while also complying with relevant legislation. All the venues that have been successful in securing the accreditation receive a certificate and window sticker for them to display to show that they are a Best Bar None accredited venue.
The Ned Ludd on Friar Lane was crowned the overall winner. It was also the winner of the Small Pub category in the Awards.
The Ned Ludd took the overall title this year for achieving outstanding mystery shopping results and, in the views of the judges, the venue goes over and above what other venues do, particularly in the areas of precautionary measures in relation to drugs safety and also for their support of the local community.
The precautionary measures that they have adopted include:
- having in-depth drug testing training and impressive testing equipment
- the adoption of Ask for Angela and Ask for Paul (the male equivalent of Ask for Angela)
- staff have undergone extensive medical training
They have also signed up to DISC, the digital radio scheme operated by Nottingham BID which provides a secure link for venues to the police, CCTV cameras and Nottingham BID’s street ambassadors, to facilitate the sharing of information about incidents of crime, anti-social behaviour and potential offenders
Their community activities include:
- providing free tea and coffee for the emergency services
- being incredibly supportive of the Charity Mind and also being an avid fund raiser for a number of other charities
- holding charity quizzes and quiz events
- sponsoring a local rugby team
- playing local music/artists
- regularly supporting and encouraging other local venues
They also enjoy a strong relationship with the police.
The other category winners are:
- Club: Stealth on Goldsmith Street
- Entertainment & Live Music Venue: Genting Casino in the Cornerhouse
- Large Bar: Alto in the Cornerhouse
- Large Pub: Ye Olde Salutation Inn on Houndsgate
- Restaurant: Annie’s Burger Shack on Broadway in the Lace Market
- Small Bar: Icon Bar and Lounge on St James Street
In addition the New Foresters, which has been the overall winners for the last two years, was presented with a Special Achievement Award in recognition of the venue consistently achieving the highest standards of operation, spurring other venues on to achieve higher standards too.
The other finalists in the various categories were:
- Small Pub: New Foresters and The Cross Keys
- Entertainment & Live Music Venue: Grosvenor Casino and the National Ice Centre
- Club: Pryzm and INK
- Restaurant: Browns Brasserie & Bar and The Hilton Hotel
- Large Pub: Pit & Pendulum and The Blue Bell Inn
- Large Bar: Revolucion de Cuba and Rescue Rooms
- Small Bar: Cucamara Cocktail Bar and Suede Bar
“Congratulations to all the winners, particularly to the Ned Ludd for taking the overall title. The Nottingham Best Bar None, operated by the BID, is instrumental in understanding the compliance systems in place in the city’s hospitality businesses. There is no doubt that well operated businesses contribute to providing a safe environment for visitors, residents and workers in Nottingham.”
Andrew Crawford, Director of Nottingham BID“As not only a sponsor but also someone who is Nottingham born and bred, it is fantastic to see so many local operators going that extra mile to give their customers the best and safest experience possible. Congratulations to all those that applied. There can however be only one winner so enormous congratulations goes to the Ned Ludd on Friar Lane for standing out this year from a high quality list of operators. It’s a tremendous accolade.”
Sarah Taylor, partner at leading licensing law firm, Poppleston Allen“When we took on The Ned Ludd a year and a half ago, our aim was to create a local style pub in the heart of the city. We also set our sights on winning Best Bar None so we are absolutely thrilled to have won the small pub category and then, to be named overall winner as well, is just amazing. The pub is as much the staff’s as it is ours so a big thanks to them. We are extremely grateful to them for all that they have done.”
Amanda and Adam Cropper, owner of The Ned Ludd
Further information about the Best Bar None scheme can be found on the Nottingham BID website.
