Penzance nightclub wins national Best Bar None award

The venue was awarded at BBN’s parliamentary reception at the House of Lords last night.

Winchester Students’ Union and Wetherspoons pub the Square Peg in Birmingham both came highly commended.

The initiative, which is open to all licensed restaurants, pubs, bars and clubs, rewards responsible management and efforts made to combat alcohol related crime and disorder.

BBN chairman Robert Humphreys, who presented the awards, said judges were impressed by the “significant extra” aspects about the venues that were not directly related to running the businesses. He said Sound nightclub installed a defibrillator for the public, while the Square Peg backs a local ‘clean up litter’ campaign.

'Supporting the community'​

Laura Cockle, who is part of the management team at Sound, said she was “absolutely overwhelmed” by the award.

‘We are a nightclub but more than that we are a business at the heart of our local community,” she said.

“Bars shouldn’t be price-driven. It’s not about selling drinks cheap it’s about quality. If you support the community they will come back again and again.

“If more people got behind Best Bar None and changed the way they run their businesses it would completely alter the negative opinions people often have about the trade.”

Humphreys also unveiled the new Best Bar None logo (pictured) at the ceremony and said it will “seriously enhance” its website and social media to improve communications with venues running the scheme. It added that next year BBN will be looking to adapt its model to suit rural venues, as it is “very focused on city centres”.