The new multi-site accreditation scheme, the first issued by Best Bar None, covers Greene King’s nationwide managed pub estate, and demonstrates a strong focus on the safety and wellbeing of its team members, customers, and communities.
This new multi-site accreditation follows the success of Best Bar None’s existing partnerships in 54 towns and cities.
Greene King chief communications and sustainability officer Assad Malic said: “We want everyone to be able to socialise safely in our pubs and by working with Best Bar None this national accreditation offers customers that added reassurance.
“Ensuring our pubs are welcoming and safe for all our customers and our teams is a responsibility which we take very seriously. We are pleased to lead the way with this, and it will be good for the whole industry as it is rolled out further.”
Greene King, named Best Pub Company Employer at this year’s Publican Awards, worked closely with Best Bar None to develop the new multi-site operator accreditation model.
Commitment to wellbeing
It allows operators to become accredited even if they are not located in one of the towns and cities running a Best Bar None scheme through a local partnership.
Best Bar None chairman Lord Smith of Hindhead, Philip Smith, added: “We are delighted to have developed this with Greene King and we are confident that the many benefits of venues becoming accredited across an entire business will be an incentive for other multiple operators to follow suit.
“The scheme has the added benefit of providing pub, club and bar operators with tangible evidence to demonstrate their commitment to, and investment in, customer and staff wellbeing and safety.”
Other benefits of becoming multi-site accredited include: ensuring compliance with the Licensing Act, supporting venue managers to make any required improvements including staff training, encouraging closer examination and monitoring of sites by area managers and ensuring venues are managed to a consistently high standard across the estate.
In addition to the operational benefits, research shows customers like the reassurance of knowing a venue is committed to staff and customer wellbeing.
Safety first
Some 49% of adults are more likely to visit a venue that has measures to improve women’s safety, according to a September 2022 YouGov survey.
Full accreditation of all Greene King’s 1,600 managed house venues is on track to be completed by spring next year.
The company has already undergone a full day’s assessment of its Head Office procedures and policies, to establish how responsibly managed (from HQ down to individual employees) each site is and what is being done to actively provide a safe, welcoming environment for both customers and staff.
On-site checks of Greene King’s managed pubs will ensure these procedures and policies are practised ‘on the ground’.
It will examine criteria from ensuring the required notices, such as Challenge 21/25, are displayed through to how well bar and door staff are trained in identifying and dealing with any issues, including the welfare and safety of all.
The process looks at how well staff are trained to identify and support vulnerable people and are ready to assist customers and fellow team members at all times, including helping them return home safely at the end of the night.
