Cheers! Top Warwick district pubs and venues celebrated at Best Bar None Awards ceremony

The first ever Warwick District Best Bar None Awards proved to be a great success.

The awards are aimed at celebrating the best pubs, bars and nightclub venues while helping promote good practice and raising standards.

Earlier this year, residents were asked to vote for the venues that had been short-listed by Warwickshire County Council’s Community Safety team for having the highest standards in hospitality. 

The Warwick District Best Bar None scheme, run by Warwickshire County Council in conjunction with Warwick District Council and supported by the Home Office and the hospitality industry, saw the following venues receive accreditation:

The Benjamin Satchwell (JD Wetherspoon), Leamington Spa; The Cape of Good Hope, Warwick; The Clarendon, Leamington Spa; Hart and Co, Leamington Spa; Fizzy Moon, Leamington Spa; Leif Tearooms, Leamington Spa; Murphy's Bar, Leamington Spa; The Old Library, Leamington Spa; The Pig and Fiddle, Leamington Spa; Ronnie's Bar, Warwick; The Royal Pug, Leamington Spa; The Thomas Lloyd (JD Wetherspoon), Warwick.  

The finalists gathered at Royal Leamington Spa Bowling Club for the awards evening, with The Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire, Philip Seccombe, introducing the ceremony.

The award winners were:

• The Old Library, Leamington Spa - Best Student Friendly Venue, awarded by national Best Bar None representative, Isaac Alcántara Heatlie. In recognition of a venue that has created an outstanding environment for students and the wider local community.

• Hart and Co, Leamington Spa - Best LGBTQ+ Venue, awarded by Warwickshire Pride Trustee, Ian Brookes-Howells. In recognition of a venue that has shown exceptional commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive space for the LGBTQ+ community.

• The Benjamin Satchwell (JD Wetherspoon), Leamington Spa – Best Bar None Gold Award, awarded by Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Chair of the Safer Warwickshire Partnership Board, Councillor Dale Bridgewater. In recognition of excellence and dedication, their outstanding contribution, and exceptional assessment.

• Murphy's Bar, Leamington Spa - People's Choice Venue, awarded by Warwick District Council Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, Councillor Jim Sinnott. In recognition of the hard work this venue has put into the scheme and reflecting the voice of the community.

• Leif Tearooms, Leamington Spa - Best Bar None Award, awarded by national Best Bar None representative, Isaac Alcántara Heatlie. In recognition of their exceptional dedication and assessment results.  

A National Award for Best New Scheme was awarded to the Warwick District Best Bar None scheme, presented by national representative, Isaac Alcántara Heatlie and accepted by Jon Barnett, Community Safety Team Leader at Warwick District Council and Bogdan Fironda, Community Safety Project Manager at Warwickshire County Council on behalf of all involved.

Certificates recognising outstanding contributions to the Warwick District Best Bar None Scheme were awarded by Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Seccombe, to:

• Jared Seal from the Warwickshire Retail Crime Initiative for his dedication to the scheme by engaging venues, promoting best practices and coordinating Pub Watch for many years.
• Warwickshire Police Sergeant Martin Hewish for his contribution and hard work in engaging licensed premises and the support he has provided to raise standards within the night-time economy (with Inspector Ed Box receiving the award on his behalf).
• Emma Morgan and Jack Henson from Warwick District Council’s Licensing Department and Sophie Cooper from the Community Safety Team, who supported and coordinated the scheme.
• Warwick District’s Community Safety Wardens, who provide a high visibility presence across the district, for their support for the scheme.

Councillor Dale Bridgewater, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Community Safety and Chair of the Safer Warwickshire Partnership Board, said:

“These awards were all about supporting Warwickshire’s night-time economy and celebrating the people in Warwick district who work so hard to ensure customers have a great experience. The Best Bar None Awards ceremony was a fantastic evening, dedicated to celebrating the very best venues when it comes to safety, training, management, and customer service.

“It was great to see so many hardworking teams come together, and I thank everyone who took part in Best Bar None this year and helped make the event such a success. Your commitment to raising standards across Warwickshire’s pubs, bars and venues makes a difference.”

Councillor Jim Sinnott, Warwick District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Community Safety, said:

“Congratulations to everyone who won an award.  These awards shine a light on the district’s successful nighttime economy and each of our winning venues has demonstrated a real commitment to improving standards and supporting a safe and enjoyable night out for our residents and visitors, and particularly our young people.

 “I’ve seen first-hand how much work goes on behind the scenes to support our bars and venues and this awards night is a real testament to the success of that partnership working and to the dedicated teams of officers on the ground who should feel proud of the difference they are making.”

Philip Seccombe, Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire, said:

“What a fantastic evening, celebrating the venues which are now accredited and recognised as the Best Bar None across Leamington and Warwick. The commitment from so many premises to make our town centres safer to achieve this mark is a clear indication that we are united across all partners in making our county a safer place for all.

“The winners we have celebrated tonight are because communities have told us the venues they feel safest in, so thank you to everyone who has cast their vote and let us know the venues they feel are the Best Bar None.”

Registration will open soon for the next round of Best Bar None accreditations and more venues are being welcomed to get involved with the scheme. Keep an eye on the website: https://warwickshirebusinesswatch.co.uk

Warwickshire County Council, Warwick District Council and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire are all members of the Safer Warwickshire Partnership Board, a collection of partner agencies who work together to address crime and safety priorities in the county and keep people safe in Warwickshire. For more information, visit www.safeinwarwickshire.com.