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Nottingham, Chesterfield and York were recognised as top performers at the annual National Best Bar None Awards, held at the House of Lords on Tuesday 24th March, taking home Best City Scheme, Best Town Scheme and Best New Scheme respectively. A Special Recognition Award was also presented to Louise Baxter of Harrow Business Improvement District in recognition of her outstanding and continued support of the Best Bar None scheme.
Supported by the Home Office, the accreditation scheme is the gold standard for safer socialising, recognising licensed premises that strive to create well-managed, safe environments for their customers. The programme supports strong partnership working between local authorities, police and premises to maintain high standards across the hospitality and drinks industry. More than 4,000 premises are currently accredited, with over 70 towns and cities adopting the recognised mark of operational excellence.
The awards ceremony was hosted by Chairman of Best Bar None, Lord Smith of Hindhead, Philip Smith, who said: “Best Bar None promotes strong, proactive relationships between licensees, the police and local authorities – relationships that are vital to the hospitality industry. I am delighted to say that the scheme has continued to go from strength to strength over the past year, with several new schemes launching and a number of innovative initiatives introduced by existing ones.
“The Central Scheme is also growing rapidly, as operators based outside areas covered by regional schemes become Best Bar None accredited. I am pleased that there are now more than 4,000 accredited premises across England and Wales, and there are strong indications that this number will continue to rise in 2026.
“The national awards recognise and celebrate schemes and individuals for their commitment to Best Bar None, our industry- and Home Office-supported scheme that promotes safer socialising. This year’s winners are all thoroughly deserving of their awards, and I offer my congratulations to everyone involved.”
Louise Baxter of Harrow Business Improvement District has been recognised with the Special Recognition Award in acknowledgement of her exceptional and sustained contribution to the Best Bar None scheme over the past decade.
Nottingham operates one of the largest and longest-established Best Bar None schemes in the UK, with 89 accredited venues including hotels, casinos, live music venues and restaurants. The city has also been a national leader in promoting inclusivity across licensed venues by introducing a comprehensive accessibility assessment section, co-designed with a student with lived experience of disability. Nottingham continues to take an impact-driven approach, launching a citywide Safe Space Pledge supported by an interactive map of participating venues, alongside using assessment data to identify trends and drive improvements.
Since launching in 2024, the Chesterfield Best Bar None scheme has accredited 26 venues, introduced key initiatives, including a digital radio network linking partners and businesses, and promoted violence-reduction campaigns such as ‘Walk Away’, which targets potential offenders by encouraging them to simply walk away. The scheme has also established a Safe Space Hub operating at weekends to provide medical and welfare support. Over the past 12 months, Chesterfield town centre has seen an 8 per cent reduction in anti-social behaviour and a 9.3 per cent reduction in public order incidents.
The York Best Bar None scheme is supported by North Yorkshire Police, British Transport Police, the council, Minster Police, Make It York and the Mayoral Combined Authority, alongside other regional partners. The scheme has quickly established itself with 22 accredited venues supported by four qualified assessors and is on track to complete a further 25 assessments by the end of the year.
Awards for excellence in airside alcohol retailing were presented to Monty’s Diner at Liverpool John Lennon Airport. The University of Lancashire and the Students’ Union at Kent University were recognised within the student union category.
Awards for pubs accredited through the Central Scheme, which was established six years ago to enable accreditation for premises outside a local scheme and now includes over 2,500 venues, were presented to The Shakespeare (Greene King), Shamblehurst Barn (Destination Brands) and the King’s Head (Craft Union).
The scheme is funded by the industry, with headline sponsorship from Diageo and supporter sponsorship from Asahi UK, JD Wetherspoon, Greene King, Stonegate Group and Mitchells and Butlers.
(L-R) Commended, the Polite Vicar (Flaming Grill), Granary (Bellhaven), Lullingstone Castle (Proper Locals), Birchwood Farm (Farmhouse), Sarah Webb (Operations Support and Assurance Manager, Greene King) and Best Pub Winner, Shamblehurst Barn (Destination Brands).
Canterbury has once again been recognised as Kent’s leading city for a secure, inclusive, well-managed, supportive night out, as a record 40 local venues were honoured at the Best Bar None awards, hosted by Canterbury BID on Wednesday 6 May.
