Best Bar None Awards Recognise Canterbury Businesses
Safety while socialising has been highlighted during an event to recognise the efforts of bars, pubs and clubs in Canterbury.
Images Canterbury BID
Hosted by Canterbury BID, the second annual Best Bar None awards recognised the efforts of the 30 venues that have achieved accreditation this year (up from 19 in 2023). Canterbury remains the leading location for accredited venues in Kent.
Best Bar None is an accreditation scheme that was introduced by Kent Police, Canterbury City Council and Canterbury BID in 2022. The Canterbury Community Safety Partnership continues to bring organisations together to ensure women are safe and feel safe on a night out.
It is a nationally-recognised accreditation scheme that provides businesses with an official, independent accreditation that shows customers how hard they work to provide a safe and welcoming place to visit while they are out socialising.
This year’s ceremony took place on 15th May, at the Kent Cricket Spitfire Ground and was also an opportunity to award 13 venues and individuals for their outstanding achievements in keeping our community safe. Awards were given to The Venue, Club Chemistry, The Ballroom, The Unicorn Inn, Boom Battle Bar, and McDonald’s, while staff from The Westgate Inn, JD Wetherspoon, Boom Battle Bar, Club Chemistry and ABV Bars were given individual awards.
These awards were based on the highest scores achieved in the Best Bar None accreditation process
- Best Venue Management: The Venue
- Best Staff Training & Care: Club Chemistry
- Best Customer Safety & Welfare: The Ballroom
- Best Customer Safety & Community: The Unicorn Inn
- Best Newcomer: Boom Battle Bar
- Best Overall Venue: The Venue
These are individual and special awards based on the stories submitted by management about their staff going over and beyond
- Best Commitment to ENTE Safety & Prevention: Charles Smythe, ABV Bars (Dolphin, Black Griffin, Seven Stars & Old City Bar)
- Best Dedicated Staff Member: Mary Baker, Club Chemistry
- Best Event Safety: Under 18s, Club Chemistry
- Best Community Experience: McDonald’s Canterbury
- Best Op Lester Anti-Spiking Promotion & Awareness: Club Chemistry
- Special Recognition – Bystander Award: Olaoluwabode Olanrele, Boom Battle Bar and Jake Wilson, The Westgate Inn, JD Wetherspoon
Lisa Carlson, CEO Canterbury BID, said: "Canterbury has been the proud receiver of the Purple Flag for 12 years, thanks to the existing partnership working between agencies, police and businesses. That has led us being in a really strong position to roll out Best Bar None in 2023, and we have gone from 19 businesses accreditations in that year to 30 this year. We were delighted to be able to dedicate an evening to showcasing the amazing work our businesses do to keep us safe, and the awards allowed them to be on the other side of the bar for a change."
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PC Danielle Rolfe, Canterbury's Licensing Officer, said: "The Best Bar None scheme allows police to work with venues to keep people safe, prevent offences from occurring and track down offenders if any problems do arise. I congratulate those premises whose efforts were celebrated at this event and I look forward to continuing to work with them in future."
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