Trade takes a bow at responsibility awards
by MA Reporter
Mitchells & Butlers, the pub company that runs All Bar One, It's A Scream, and Harvester, among other national chains, has been named Britain's Most Responsible Drinks Retailer (managed category).
The award, presented to M&B chief executive Tim Clarke by Licensing Minister Richard Caborn, was one of nine made to responsible drinks retailers in both the on and off-trade yesterday (17 Nov).
Staged jointly by the Morning Advertiser and its sister publication Off Licence News, both produced by William Reed Publishing, the Responsible Drinks Retailing Awards was the culmination of a year-long campaign to highlight Britain's most socially responsible pubs, bars, off-licences and supermarkets.
The initiative responded to Government concerns over binge-dining and anti-social behaviour. It aimed to encourage best practice in retailers when selling alcohol.
The Union Pub Company won Most Responsible Pub Company; the Boat Inn, Loughborough won Most Responsible Tenant/Lessee; and the RSVP Bar in Bath won Most Responsible Individual Operator. Bedford Council was named Most Responsible Local Authority.
MA editor Andrew Pring said: "I'm delighted we have such worthy winners of these inaugural awards. They are all great companies and great people doing a great job. The industry should be proud of them for showing how socially responsible the drinks trade really is."
Waitrose received the Most Responsible Multiple Grocer award, while Thresher Group was named Most Responsible Off-Licence Chain at the London ceremony.
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Drinks promotions code of practice close to completionThe long-awaited British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) code of practice on drinks promotions is close to seeing the light of day a whole eight months after it was first written. The Office of Fair Trading has taken many months to decide on the legality of the code, which the trade hopes will provide a blueprint of best practice. Originally, it was also hoped the code would be included in many local authority licensing policies but all policies need to be finalised by 7 January.
The BBPA has now finally received feedback and will now meet with the OFT to thrash out' points of concern and get the code out "as soon as possible".
The main stumbling block within the code was a concern that some areas of the policy may amount to price controlling. "I think we can now resolve these issues quite easily," said communications director Mark Hastings. "The code seeks to pinpoint behaviours in promotions that cause problems rather than necessarily dictating the price. It identifies the ones that cause the problems."
Hastings added: "The pub industry, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, the Home Office, the police and the local authorities all see the code as playing a vital role in tackling irresponsible promotions."
Morning Advertiser legal editor Peter Coulson said: "The guidance does encourage local authorities to include a voluntary code of practice such as the one put forward by the BBPA but they do not have to. There is still time for it to be included but there is no way it could be after the deadline."
