Not one but two Awards for East Riding Theatre
Fri 25th November 2016
ERT (East Riding Theatre) achieved a double whammy recently when it was presented with two awards at the ‘Best Bar None Awards’ Dinner, hosted at Beverley Racecourse. After the announcement of the first award, ‘Best Entertainment Venue’, ERT’s team naturally responded with a dramatic whoop; a reaction quickly replaced by almost spontaneous combustion when a second trophy for ‘Best New Entry’ was received.
Best Bar None is a National Award Scheme supported by the Home Office and aimed at promoting responsible management and operation of alcohol licensed premises.
It was piloted in Manchester in 2003 and found to improve standards in the Night time economy, with premises now competing to participate. It has since been adopted by 75 town and cities across the UK and is now being taken up internationally.
Consultants and funders promote winning an award as a great way to reap a host of benefits for businesses and organisations but what they don’t mention is the hard work involved in entry processes. When Cassie Page, ERT’s bar manager at the time, suggested the theatre enter the ‘Best Bar None Awards’ in June this year, management was initially doubtful due to increased workload on its small team. Cassie was determined to leave behind a legacy for the theatre before moving to Australia.
Although ERT processed a mass of paperwork, theatre manager, Sue Kirkman, says ‘Our organisation has benefitted considerably by encouraging management awareness of otherwise forgotten areas. After ERT’s team had attended several presentations by the Police/Fire officers, our former bar manager Cassie Page and myself partook of an intense two-hour interview conducted by ERYC licensing team. At the Awards’ Dinner, I learned the ERYC staff had undertaken the roles on a voluntary basis enduring endless interviews followed by post-visit analysis. Such dedication deserves a very public thank you to the licensing team.’
The evening couldn’t have been more different than the serious application process. The event was buzzing with people from all areas of the night-time leisure industry who took well-earned advantage of a night out where they enjoyed being entertained for a change. Matt Galbraith, ERT’s new bar manager, says ‘It was humbling to receive our awards."
