The Baum collects accolade as drinking spots put safety first

Andy Glover presents Best Pub award to The Baum owners Simon and Heidi Crompton

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The Baum has been named ‘Best Bar None’ in a ceremony celebrating top safety standards at drinking establishments across the borough.

Best Bar None is a national scheme backed by the Home Office which sees venues which sell alcohol adhere to a range of strict safety standards. Only those which pass a gruelling two hour assessment by nationally accredited assessors are awarded a Best Bar None plaque. Venues undergo reassessment each year.

Prospective members have to answer questions on a range of things including whether their staff are trained in conflict management and first aid, how they ensure safe use of glass, whether they hold regular meetings to review security and whether they have a dispersal policy in place to deal with large numbers of people leaving their venue at the same time.

The annual Best Bar None awards, which were judged this year by Jim Taylor, Chief Executive of Rochdale Borough Council, Annette Anderson, Chief Superintendent of Rochdale Police and Councillor Sultan Ali, Cabinet Member for Strengthening Communities at Rochdale Borough Council, reward those venues which have implemented additional safety measures beyond what is required to be a member of the scheme.

The Baum was highlighted because of its excellent staff training record and community involvement, including a scheme which saw their staff work with business students from Hopwood Hall College to improve their product knowledge. They were also praised for their responsible attitude including ensuring revellers do not create noise nuisance while leaving the premises.

The full list of winners is:

Best pub - The Baum

Runner up best pub - The Flying Horse

Winner best bar - Mango

Runner up best bar - Pacific

Overall winner - The Baum

The Rochdale Best Bar None Scheme, which is managed by Rochdale Town Centre Management, was introduced in 2008. Earlier this year, it expanded to include venues outside Rochdale including the Ladybarn in Milnrow, the Healey in Shawclough and the Norden Arms.

Councillor Sultan Ali, Cabinet Member for Strengthening Communities at Rochdale Borough Council. Said: “It’s encouraging to see that our licensed premises take the safety of their customers and the wider community so seriously.

“This project, along with schemes like Homesafe, which sees police and licensing officers flood the town centre streets at key times on Friday and Saturday nights, go a long way to ensuring that our town centres are safe and enjoyable places to be.”

Rochdale Town Centre manager, Debbie O’Brien said: “We’re lucky to have fantastic venues like the Baum in our town centre. These awards are a mark of quality and yet another reason for people to come and enjoy all that our borough has to offer.”