Join Best Bar None Scotland
To join Best Bar None Scotland, contact the local co-ordinator for your area . They work with local partners such as the police, local authorities or business improvement districts. Contact details are listed below. If your area isn't listed, or you are not sure which area applies to your premises, contact our national development officer and we'll try to help.
Because of the support of our partners, Best Bar None is delivered at a low, or no, cost to businesses.
Check with your local co-ordinator below for details on any potential charges. Where there is a small charge - this cover things such as running the scheme, offering extra training and delivering events for participants.
Aberdeen - Callum Kerr, Senior Warden Email
Dumfries and Galloway - BBNS Development Officer Email
Glasgow - Louise McMonagle, City Centre Coordinator Email
Edinburgh - Veronica MacMillan Email
Fife - PC Emma Fisher, Police Scotland Email
Inverness - John McDonald, Community Safety Manager Email
Falkirk - BBNS Development Officer Email
Stirling - BBNS Development Officer Email
East Dunbartonshire - BBNS Development Officer Email
You'll find more about the scheme in the About Us section of this site. You can also watch a video of participants on YouTube.
West Lothian - BBNS Development Officer Email
Mid Lothian - BBNS Development Officer Email
East Lothian - BBNS Development Officer Email
East Ayrshire - BBNS Development Officer Email
South Ayrshire - BBNS Development Officer Email
North Lanarkshire - BBNS Development Officer Email
South Lanarkshire - BBNS Development Officer Email
Perth - BBNS Development Officer Email
Dundee - BBNS Development Officer Email
Applying to take part
How does the Best Bar None scheme work?
Best Bar None follows four simple steps to achieving success and getting an award.
Apply to your local co-ordinator to take part in the scheme. You can access a range of training and support services to improve your venue.
Assessment – You’ll be assessed on criteria based on Licensing Scotland objectives.
Judging - A local panel of key partners will judge your premises, using a scoring booklet for your category of premises.
Awards – Successful participants will be invited to a local awards ceremony. This will provide you with the chance to increase the profile of your business and be seen to be among the Best Bar None.
Each year there will be local launches.
We will be inviting applications from eligible venues. Anyone taking part will be provided with information packs to help them bring premises up to the required standards in advance of any assessment. We’ll agree with you a date for the assessment to be carried out.
Usually assessments take between two to three hours, depending on various things – such as the size of venue. Assessors vary across Scotland and can be independent or from one of the partners supporting Best Bar None.
Agencies - including police, fire and trading standards officers - can give you advice in advance of the assessment. The actual assessment focuses on the five key elements in the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005.
Training and support
Anyone taking part in Best Bar None can access a range of support services from project partners. We’ve also provided downloadable resources to help you. Also check out news pages and our social media feeds on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn for updates.
In addition, the national Business Gateway service – delivered via local councils – offers a range of free training and advice programmes to help you improve your business. You can also visit the Business Gateway website for free downloads and to book events.
Fire safety
Click links to read the latest articles
Contact: Gary Wood
Gary has joined the Best Bar None team as a Senior Business Resilience Adviser.
He joins on secondment from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) - and is offering fire safety advice for venues taking part in the Best Bar None initiative. We'll be publishing advice from Gary on this page.
Dealing with the threat of terrorism
Sadly, terrorism is a growing threat – particularly in more urban communities.
We offer threat and awareness training, approved by the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NACTSO). There is no cost for this training. We can deliver this to a Best Bar None group in a particular area or to a venue directly.
The course has been well-received in recent months. Events have shown the hospitality trade to be a target for terrorists - due to large numbers of people congregating in one place – at a music or sporting event, or at a nightclub or bar.
In this video, PC David MacCrimmon - on secondment to the Scottish Business Resilience Centre (which delivers Best Bar None at a national level) - gives more information.
If you'd like to access the e-learning David mentioned in the video - or want to discuss ways to combat terrorism - contact David by email: david.maccrimmon@sbrcentre.co.uk
Alternatively, contact the Best Bar None national co-ordinator for more information.
Useful links
The UK Government website has a range of useful information from the National Counter Terrorism Security Office, including links to e-learning, reporting suspicious behaviour, the Run, Hide, Tell guidance - as well as information for crowded places.
Assessment process for Best Bar None
We’ll look at a range of issues to assess premises taking part in Best Bar None. This can cover things like:
Prevention of crime and disorder – How your staff deal with security, drunkenness, drugs, theft, disorder, capacity (when too many people want into your venue), drink driving, violence, disorder and other issues at your venue. We’ll also look at the training you have in place for staff.
Protection of public safety – We’ll look at what first aid you have on the premises, your fire and building safety measures, how you collect glasses, help people with disabilities and arrange onward transport for customers.
Protection of the environment – We’ll look at things such as how you deal with noise from your venue, dispersal (encouraging people to go home), whether you engage in a local Pub Watch of other initiative, and your approaches to dealing with litter and waste.
Promotion of public health – We could look at the non-alcohol options on offer, smaller (125ml) wine options, the food on offer, and staff awareness of issues such as mental and sexual health issues and vulnerable people.
Protection of children from harm – Do you challenge people to show they are of a legal age to drink in your premises? How do you deal with forged IDs and underage drinkers? Do you know to deal and record these situations?
Download our Good Practice Guide to prepare for your assessment:
View our reference of useful links and resources to help with your assessment:
Useful ideas and tips to support your assessment.
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ASK FOR ANGELA
Best Bar None is supporting the #AskForAngela campaign - and encouraging BBN venues across Scotland to use this fantastic initiative as part of their social responsibility toolkit.
The idea is that anyone in a pub, club or bar who needs help to get out of situation, such as a disastrous date, can ask a member of staff for Angela. Using the simple code word will alert the staff that there’s an issue with your date and they will help you get out of the situation safely and discreetly.
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125 ML CAMPAIGN
Smaller wine glass sizes in pubs and clubs can help to promote responsible consumption and contribute to positive public health. The Scottish Alcohol Industry Partnership (SAIP) and Best Bar None Scotland are working together to raise the awareness and promotion of 125ml wine measures within licensed premises.
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DIAGEO LEARNING FOR LIFE - EMPLOYABILITY
BBN venues have a great opportunity to work with The Springboard Charity via their ‘Diageo Learning for Life’ programme. The key objective is helping unemployed individuals (sometimes long term unemployed) back into work and into a sustainable and progressive career/industry.
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KEEP SAFE - I AM ME
Keep Safe is a partnership initiative developed with Police Scotland and I Am Me - community led charity to raise awareness and increase reports of Disability Hate crime.Keep Safe works with local businesses to create a network of safer places for disabled, elderly and vulnerable people to go if they are lost, scared, need help or if they are the victim of a crime.Best Bar None is now supporting the Initiative as part of it's annual assessment criteria as a Bonus question with a view to encouraging more licensed premises to participate in the Keep Safe Initiative.
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ACT - ACTION COUNTERS TERRORISM
Best Bar None is encouraging its members to help the police tackle terrorism and save lives by reporting suspicious behaviour. Online training is also available to help participants be aware of the different attack methods that terrorists might use.
Read more about elearning support on the UK Government site
Sign up for online learning
Visit the ACT website
Read more on the UK Government site -
DRINKAWARE CAMPAIGNS
Drinkaware is an independent charity working to reduce alcohol misuse and harm in the UK. It aims to help people make better choices about drinking.
Visit the Drinkaware website here
Find out how you can support its campaigns
Access and order Drinkaware resources -
CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION - GUIDANCE FROM BARNARDO'S SCOTLAND
Under current legislation, managers and staff in licensed premises must ensure children are protected from harm in their venues. Check out guidance from Barnardo's Scotland on ways to avoid child sexual exploitation.
What's the judging process for Best Bar None?
Following an assessment visit, scoring booklets are marked and each venue is allocated a score.
Points are allocated for ‘Essential’, ‘Desired’ and ‘Bonus’ categories. Venues must achieve ALL essential points to be accredited. Those which demonstrate additional points will receive a higher award. A neutral panel will sit at a local level to determine the appropriate level of award i.e. Bronze, Silver or Gold, based on the scoring booklets.
A bronze award means the venue has achieved all the “essential” criteria to show their commitment to “due diligence and licensing objectives”.
A silver award shows that you’ve achieved the “essential” things plus “desirable” improvements. This demonstrated your commitment to improving the venue beyond normal management practices.
A gold award shows you’ve achieved “essential” and “desirable” objectives and are working towards “bonus” criteria – demonstrating your drive for excellence.
Local co-ordinators will give you more details on how you can work to the different standards.