Drinks giants back ‘customer friendly’ pubs scheme

BREWING majors Heineken and Molson Coors have joined spirits giant Diageo in pumping £50,000 into a scheme to cut crime and create more “customer friendly” pubs and clubs that will attract families and women.

The funding injection will help expand the Best Bar None Scotland initiative, which is being administered by the Scottish Business Crime Centre (SBCC).

It is hoped the backing of the three brands will “herald an intensive consumer drive” behind the scheme, which already has more than 250 members. Diageo – which makes Bell’s, Guinness and Johnnie Walker – is the lead sponsor.

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Mandy Haeburn-Little, director of the SBCC, said the financial support would allow the scheme to double the number of licensed premises involved and offer training, mentoring and accreditation.

A similar programme already running extensively in England is said to have led to city centre crime rates falling by as much as 70 per cent.

Haeburn-Little said: “It’s our hope that before long, anyone arriving in a Scottish town or city for the first time will be able to go onto the Best Bar One Scotland website to find bars or clubs that they know excel as being safe for women, for people travelling on their own or child-friendly.

“We want to use this support to help us propel the scheme to the forefront of consumer awareness.”

A Best Bar None board has just been formed for Scotland, made up of representatives from the licensed trade, police and other emergency services. It will be supported by the executive committee of local co-ordinators who already manage the scheme at local level.

The initiative sets down a standard of operation agreed following consultation with the police, government and drinks industry. As well as the website, plaques are used to promote venues.

Haeburn-Little added: “Members have made a dedicated effort to push the boundaries and raise the standard of creating a safer night time economy.”

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