01 · What it does
A clear check across five areas
The standard asks what a venue does now. Marketing, payments and customer disputes do not affect the score.
Rules shown first
Every requirement and point is visible before you apply.
Five equal areas
Each score area is worth 20 of the 100 points.
Clear checks
Self-certified and independently audited results always have different labels.
Fair scoring
Payments, reports, mediation and private feedback cannot change the score.
02 · Scoring
How the score is calculated
The table may scroll sideways on a small screen.
| Answer | Points | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 5 | The venue meets the requirement. |
| Partly | 3 | Some work is in place, but more is needed. |
| No | 0 | The venue does not meet the requirement yet. |
| Does not apply | Review | Only available for some questions. Bars.co.uk must approve it. |
Minimum overall score.
Minimum in every score area.
This must be met as well as the points target.
03 · The requirements
Five score areas, four questions each
SCORE AREA 01 · 20 POINTS
Responsible service and safety
Practical controls for age checks, vulnerability, incidents and safe closing.
- 1.10–5 pts
Age verification and refusals
The venue has a written age-verification and refusal process.
- 1.20–5 pts
Vulnerability and safeguarding
The venue has procedures for intoxication, drink spiking, vulnerability and safeguarding.
- 1.30–5 pts
Incidents and emergencies
The venue has incident, emergency and responsible-manager procedures.
- 1.40–5 pts
Closing and neighbour management
The venue has safe closing, dispersal, noise and neighbour-management procedures.
SCORE AREA 02 · 20 POINTS
Trained and supported staff
Role-appropriate induction, refresher training, welfare and management support.
- 2.10–5 pts
Role-appropriate induction
Staff complete role-appropriate induction before unsupervised alcohol service.
- 2.20–5 pts
Refresher training and records
The venue provides refresher training and maintains training records.
- 2.30–5 pts
Conflict and safeguarding training
Role-appropriate training covers conflict management, safeguarding, harassment and vulnerability.
- 2.40–5 pts
Staff welfare and reporting
The venue maintains staff welfare, reporting routes, lone-working controls and management support.
SCORE AREA 03 · 20 POINTS
Local jobs and community
Privacy-safe local employment, opportunities, suppliers and community contact.
- 3.10–5 pts
Local staff proportion
“Does not apply” availableThe venue assesses the privacy-safe proportion of regular staff classed as local.
Not applicable may be approved only where the venue has no regular employees during the assessment period.
- 3.20–5 pts
Local opportunities
The venue supports local recruitment, entry-level opportunities, work experience or apprenticeships where practical.
- 3.30–5 pts
Local suppliers and partnerships
The venue uses local suppliers, producers, services or community partnerships where practical.
- 3.40–5 pts
Community contact
The venue has a named community contact and participates constructively in the local area.
SCORE AREA 04 · 20 POINTS
Authentic drinks and honest measures
Traceable supply, genuine products, accurate measures and sound dispense controls.
- 4.10–5 pts
Traceable suppliers
Wines, beers, ciders and spirits come from traceable, legitimate suppliers.
- 4.20–5 pts
Purchasing and substitution controls
The venue keeps suitable purchasing records and controls counterfeit products and undisclosed brand substitution.
- 4.30–5 pts
Measures, prices and descriptions
The venue uses accurate measures, prices and product descriptions.
- 4.40–5 pts
Storage, dispense and product information
The venue maintains suitable storage, cellar, line and dispense controls and accurate product, strength and allergen information where applicable.
SCORE AREA 05 · 20 POINTS
Fair access and resolution
Useful accessibility information, fair customer care and a route to resolve concerns.
- 5.10–5 pts
Accessibility information
The venue publishes useful accessibility information and considers reasonable adjustments.
- 5.20–5 pts
Fair customer care
The venue maintains fair customer-care, anti-discrimination and anti-harassment procedures.
- 5.30–5 pts
Route for concerns
The venue provides a clear route for complaints or concerns.
- 5.40–5 pts
Free mediation participation
RequiredThe venue agrees to participate in free Bars.co.uk mediation and maintains a working mediation contact.
04 · How to pass
All conditions must be met
- All 20 questions answered, including any approved “Does not apply” answer
- Overall score of at least 70 out of 100
- At least 10 points in every score area
- Agrees to take part in our free problem-solving service
- Gives us a working contact for that service
- A person allowed to act for the venue accepts every statement
- The result is still within its 12-month period
- Any audited result has a current independent audit
Required: take part in free problem-solving
The venue must give us a working contact and respond if someone asks for our free mediation help. This does not mean the venue admits fault or agrees with the person who reported a problem.
05 · Public labels
What people will see
Venue self-certified
The venue answered the questions and declared its own result. It has not been independently checked.
Audited by Bars.co.uk
An independent reviewer checked a sample of the answers and proof. We show the date and what was checked.
This is a Bars.co.uk standard. It is not government approval or a Food Standards Agency rating. We show Food Standards Agency information separately, with its source and date.
Ready to check your venue?
It is free to apply
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