On Tuesday May 23rd, CLASS magazine announced its highly anticipated CLASS Bar Awards 2023. The Awards, which debuted in 2003, is the highest-attended and longest-running bar industry ceremony in the UK.
Representatives from the UK’s leading bars attended the Awards last night (at Battersea
Arts Centre, London, along with internationally renowned industry personalities. Judged by the CLASS Collective (a group of 100 bar experts from across the country), the CLASS Bar Awards recognises the talent, achievements and diversity of the UK bar scene.
Schofield’s Bar in Manchester was the choice of the CLASS Collective, winning Best Bar in the North sponsored by The Busker and the nationwide title of Bar of the Year sponsored by Stauning.
Opened in spring 2021, Joe (pictured above) and Daniel Schofield’s debut bar set in Manchester’s Sunlight House, has become an instant classic, winning plaudits across the UK. Its period, classy looks – with dark woods and touches of green – and focus on five-star service makes it the UK’s best bar 2023.
It is the only the third time since 2003 that a bar has won consecutive Bar of the Year titles.
The nominees for Best Bar in the North sponsored by The Busker included Tabula Rasa in Leeds as well as Manchester-based Speak in Code and Blinker.
Manchester-born Junkyard Golf took home the Social Media Presence of the Year sponsored by Villa Sandi, after impressing judges with its laser-targeted ampaigns that have brought in real-world customers.
The ceremony climaxed with the Outstanding Contribution Award sponsored by Master of Malt Trade which went to Ian Burrell. The self-titled global rum ambassador has spent almost thirty years in the service of rum, promoting its interests and educating bartenders globally on the spirit’s diversity, authenticity and quality. His work has made an invaluable contribution to the global drinks industry.
Hamish Smith, editor of Class and co-host of the Class Bar Awards, said: “The 78 finalists this year were the strongest and most geographically diverse since we relaunched the Awards in 2017.
“London remains strong but the Bar of the Year is in Manchester again, the New Bar of the Year is in Birmingham, the Bar Innovator of the Year is in Edinburgh and the bar leading sustainable practices is in Cornwall – there are countless other bars up and down the UK propelling the industry forward.
“Not in recent memory has the UK bar scene felt as rich in talent, or as evenly spread. London doesn’t lead the global bar industry anymore, the UK does.”
