Photo credit: Clive Totman
Restaurants Jin Bo Law and Madison, and the Mr Foggs City Tavern pub have taken home their winners’ gongs from this year’s Safety Thirst Awards in the City of London.
The awards, which are held at Guildhall, are given to licensed cafes, bars, pubs, clubs, restaurants, and events venues across the Square Mile which are part of the City of London Corporation’s scheme.
A record 75 Square Mile licensed venues were accredited for this year’s awards, which were first launched in 2006, and three venues were singled out as overall winners – Madison; Mr Foggs City Tavern, for the second time; and Jin Bo Law, which had entered the scheme for the first time.
Mr Foggs City Tavern was the overall winner for the second time, while Jin Bo Law, which entered the scheme for the first time, and Madison were singled out for ‘highly commended’ trophies.
As the Licensing Authority for the City, the organisation’s awards promotes high standards in reducing crime and anti-social behaviour, while also helping to ensure a safe and pleasant environment for people to socialise.
This year’s scheme was expanded to include criteria on counter terrorism, combatting drink spiking, enhancing women’s safety, tackling sexual harassment, and suicide prevention, all of which are a top priority for the UK’s night-time economy.
Accredited venues are eligible for a 30% discount from the City’s late-night levy applicable to all venues with permission to sell alcohol between the hours of midnight and 6am on any day of the week. Currently, 310 venues pay the levy.
‘Safety Thirst’ is a key part of Destination City, the City Corporation’s growth strategy for the Square Mile as a world-leading business and leisure location, delivering a seven-day-a-week Square Mile that is a global magnet for businesses and residents, visitors, and workers alike.
Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Licensing Committee, James Tumbridge, said:
“Many congratulations to the winners of this year’s Safety Thirst scheme.
“The increasing number of accredited venues is a testament to the quality of City licensees, who take their customer safety and service so seriously. As footfall continues to rise, it’s wonderful to see so many engaged venues.
“As part of the Square Mile’s leading leisure offer, we have experiences to cater for everybody. We work hard to attract people to spend time in the City and I urge people to discover our hidden gems.
“Accredited venues raise the profile of the Square Mile as a safe place in which to enjoy a night out, as well as underlining the importance that we place on the safety of visitors to our night-time economy.”
General Manager, Mr Fogg’s City Tavern, Jay Sebode, said:
“It is a great pride to receive the overall winner award, it is a recognition of all the work we do here at Mr Fogg’s City Tavern to create a welcoming and safe environment for our guests.
“As a licensed premises, we have a duty of care towards the community and we take that responsibility seriously. It was great to see so many other venues receiving an award and it shows we all aim to make the City of London a safe space for everyone.”
Director of Operations, D&D London for Madison, Med Rogers, said:
“We are delighted to receive such an accolade from the City of London Corporation celebrating our commitment to the safety of our guests – which is essential to every great night out.”
