Bringing Out The Best

Liberal Democrat peer and Lords spokesman Rupert Redesdale was recently appointed chairman of the Best Bar None (BBN) scheme, which recognises responsible licensed venues across the UK after the BII came on board to co-ordinate a national roll-out.

And it's quite a job. While Redesdale admits that pleasing all board members, from police to trade bodies and individual licensees, can be tricky, he says conflicting interests are usually quietened by one vested interest - highlighting the very best of the on-trade.

"I thought we would spend time talking about the correct use of apostrophes," Redesdale recalls of the first BBN board meeting, "but when it came to the meat of the issue - who is actually responsible for this, the national or local committee? - there was an enormous amount of heated discussion making the point that this has to be local."

Advising the trade

BBN is the little scheme which just keeps getting bigger.

Now just three months away from its first national conference in Doncaster, it has 90 incarnations in towns and cities across the UK. For the first time in its short history, its conference will advise both the trade and law-enforcers how best to create a virtuous circle in the country's town centres.

The brainchild of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and the Home Office, BBN rewards motivated licensees who promote best practice in town centres.

In 2003, GMP had asked local pubs and nightclubs proud of their management, door policy and responsible retailing ethics to nominate themselves. An assessor would then arrive and award an accreditation and plaque if the pub passed the 'test'.

The pub was then automatically entered into an awards ceremony.

Licensees felt their hard work had finally been recognised by the authorities - and in an area such as Manchester, often beleaguered by bad press about irresponsible drinking, it was a resounding success.

Word of mouth spread and other cities started badgering GMP for advice on how to run their own scheme. Bit by bit, new schemes sprung up with awards relevant to their local needs and in 2007 the project gained BII support.

Crunch points

The Redesdale Arms itself does not carry a BBN accreditation - it is "too rural". BII chief executive John McNamara sees town and cities as "crunch points", suggesting that "you might question the need for the scheme" outside urban areas.

Redesdale points to Newcastle as a classic example of a city with "fantastic nightlife, always teetering on the edge because of its very success".

He describes the difficulty of rolling out a national programme that does not dictate from the top down.

"The centre has to provide standards that everybody feels are fair," he says.

"It's a tightrope walk because the centre has to make sure it doesn't dictate things which local people are going to find an imposition."

The board is aiming for a core national standard, with an in-built flexibility allowing award categories to be adapted and fitted to local environments.

And if pubs have any doubt about what would work for their area, the BBN website launched in March this year - www.bestbarnone.com - provides a wealth of information, plus links to all participating cities.

"Any scheme like this is only going to be successful if people feel included but, at the same time, autonomous in their areas. They shouldn't feel like we're telling them what to do," says Redesdale.

An uphill struggle

No matter how enthusiastic BBN is about its national drive, its chairman is not naïve about the difficulties facing pubs looking to maintain their standards. One of the problems, he says, is the impact a high turnover of barstaff can have on an accredited pub.

New, untrained staff can lead to barrels blocking fire exits, for example - or lose a licensee their livelihood if they serve a minor more than twice.

"We would hope that every pub in the country already meets our standards," he says. "But one year a pub can be at the top of the tree and the next year it can be failing on so many respects. It's a tough and lonely trading environment."

One thing BBN is not, both McNamara and Redesdale claim, is "another load of paperwork".

Many areas have shortened the application forms and much of the assessment takes place during a one-to-one interview between an assessor and the licensee.

McNamara says an assessor casting a fresh eye around your pub can be invaluable. "If you think about it, it's a day's-worth of free consultancy which would set you back £1,000," he says.

Redesdale says much of the success of the scheme lies in its domino-like nature. It has organically spread around the UK, with peer pressure leading licensees to want to take part and show off their BBN credentials.

In Brent, North London, 15 pubs initially applied - two years on, there are 40 entrants.

And licensees are wising up to the benefits of getting involved.

If a Doncaster pub doesn't have a BBN accreditation it won't be in the tourist guide, which could have a negative impact on business.

And in Poole and Portsmouth, pubs that take part are featured on local radio, with licensees getting publicity from prime-time radio interviews.

At the recent Manchester awards, Redesdale was delighted to learn that a winner had turned around a run-down pub in a bad part of town to take a key award. He says: "The new licensee completely changed the clientele and has brought the local community back into a local pub - it's fabulous to see this recognised."

The awards, he explains, are not about being the biggest or most popular nightclub in town; they are about standards.

And it's that approach that means Best Bar None is giving every licensed business the chance to be the best.

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Who is Lord Redesdale?

Lord Redesdale was invited to be the first national chairman for Best Bar None at the end of 2007. As well as having first hand knowledge of the trade through his pub, the Redesdale Arms near Otterburn in Northumbria, Lord Redesdale is the Liberal Democrat spokesperson in the Lords for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Agriculture and Energy).

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Set up your own awards

There is no need to wait for your local authority to get in touch before setting up a local Best Bar None awards.

"As long as you get enough pubs on board you can set up your own local scheme," advises Lord Redesdale.

The website, attracting more visitors every day and generating a lot of interest in September's conference, has made the whole scheme more accessible, and made it easier for licensees to get in touch with current schemes.

Says Redesdale: "All you have to do is ring up one of the great schemes like Manchester who'll say it is a great tool. The beauty of this is that there are no losers - there are no major costs and it's a virtuous circle."

To find out more visit: www.bestbarnone.com