Premier Licensing

The Assessment

Premises are visited and assessed by a team drawn from the licensing sections of the council and the police. Consistency of approach is ensured by the use of a common application form, guidance notes and score sheet. Assessors are also able to record evidence of new and innovative ideas that are making premises safer. These in turn can be included in future application forms, thus enabling the award process to evolve.

To ensure Best Bar None is applicable throughout the wide range of retail outlets, premises are compared only with those that are in the same category, 'Club', 'Pub' or 'Bar'. All premises, which attain the minimum standard by meeting all the 'essential criteria' are awarded an accreditation.

How many of the top premises go forward to the judging night is dependent on how many apply, usually a maximum of five in each category.