Best Bar None goes nationwide - but where's the evidence?

The trade press last week reported with enthusiasm that the Home Office and Greater Manchester Police have agreed a joint approach with the British Institute of Innkeepers (BII) to develop Best Bar None. A national steering committee will set up a new structure to implement standard guidelines, and form a commercial coordinating body, Best Bar None Ltd.

Paul Evans of the Home Office is quoted as saying:

“I am delighted that the Home Office is continuing to support this successful initiative. By further extending and promoting the scheme, in partnership with the licensed retail trade at a national level.

“Best Bar None will be instrumental in helping to improve the night time economy in the UK. It already has a good track record in the local areas that have adopted it as part of their night time economy improvement strategies and I look forward to seeing it having an even greater impact in the future.”

Where is the evidence that BBN is so successful? Recently published research evaluating Croydon's BBN could find little 'credible' evidence to link the scheme to any reduction in alcohol-related harm, and concluded that reliable systems for measuring BBN's effectiveness needed to be developed. See here for details.

Source: Libby Ranzetta
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