Raising the Bar

(Date of issue: Wednesday 13 May 2009)

Awards Scheme’s Assessors busy summing up to find the Best Bar None.

Best Best None’s Assessors have now done the rounds with their clipboards as they visited town centre pubs and clubs in Carlisle, Penrith and Appleby to find the Best licensed premises in the two areas Bar None.

The Second annual Best Bar None awards evening is less than a week away, on Tuesday 19 May, thirty-seven licensees from the city and town centre pubs, clubs and bars in Carlisle, Penrith and Appleby will eagerly await the results of the judging to find out which licensed premises is the best in each area for the categories below:

• Best Pub
• Best Club
• Best Bar

The Best Bar None Award Winner for each of these categories will then be put forward as a potential candidate for overall winner of Best Bar None for Carlisle or Eden.

The Carlisle and Eden Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) are one of 80 UK towns and cities to adopt the Best Bar None scheme, which is backed by the Home Office and British Institute of Innkeeping (BII) and aims to promote responsible management and operation of alcohol-licensed premises with the ultimate intention of offering and maintaining a safer, more welcoming, attractive and lively drinking experience.

CDRP Violent Crime Task Group Chair John Bell said:

“I am delighted with the response of local licensees to the Best Bar None Awards Scheme, which encourages licensees to act responsibly and take pride in their premises and surroundings and, in doing so, put something back into the their town / city and local community. The scheme has gone from strength to strength, part of a package of measures designed to drive down crime and anti-social behaviour in both districts.’’

Carlisle City Cllr Ray Bloxham, portfolio holder for Environment and Infrastructure said:

‘’The rewards for licensees include, the prestige of being part of the awards scheme, increased business within the area and lower insurance premiums resulting from the fact that they are running safer establishments. The biggest winners of the Awards Scheme are local people and visitors, who benefit from a more welcoming, attractive, lively and above all safe place to visit.’’

For more information about the Best Bar None Scheme contact Carlisle City Council’s Licensing Department on tel: (01228) 817523 or email: licensing@carlisle.gov.uk