On Wednesday 21st May 2025 CLASS magazine announced its highly anticipated CLASS Bar Awards 2024. Having debuted in 2003, the CLASS Bar Awards is the longest-running UK bar industry celebration.
Representatives from the UK’s leading bars attended the Awards last night at Battersea Arts Centre, London, among a crowd of 600 industry well-wishers. Judged by the CLASS Collective (a group of 170 bar aficionados from across the UK), the CLASS Bar Awards recognises the talent, achievements and diversity of the UK bar scene.
Satan’s Whiskers in London took the collective award of the night, winning Bar of the Year sponsored by Savoia and taking the regional accolade: Best Bar in London & the South East sponsored by Porte Noire.
Fighting off competition from the other regional winners for the UK-wide gong, Kevin Armstrong’s Bethnal Green bar gets better with age. Now 12 years old, this dark and intimate bar, serves classic cocktails against a hip-hop soundtrack - and bartenders love it.
One of the bar’s long-time leaders Keila Urzaiz de Calignon was also recognised for her role at the forefront of the bar’s warm and engaging hospitality, winning Front of House Star sponsored by Savoia. While Urzaiz de Calignon performs every role at Satan’s Whiskers, she is best known for setting the tone for the bar experience, with a forensic approach to customer care.
Across the city in Soho, Cocktail of the Year sponsored by Bessou went to Three Sheets Soho’s Sazzaquack. Created by owners Noel and Max Venning, this spin on a Sazerac is a blend of brandy and rye whiskey with a mix of absinthe and vodka infused with lemon zest and the addition of anise inspired by raditional Peking duck spices.
Drinks Menu of the Year sponsored by Franklin & Sons meanwhile went to Lyaness’ latest menu. Exploring the theme of collaboration, Ryan Chetiyawardana’s latest list at Sea Containers London blends storytelling and flavour to give drinks more layers to engage with. As ever, the end result was a menu full of fun, delicious cocktails.
Elsewhere in London, Connaught Bar made it four wins in a row in the Hotel Bar of the Year category sponsored by The Lost Explorer. Ago Perrone and Giorgio Bargiani’s Connaught Bar is the quintessential hotel bar, combining flawless service and cocktails that find a balance between classicism and modernism.
The Best Bar in the Midlands & East Anglia went to Couch this year, winning out from a finalist’s group of Birmingham bars. Couch is full of talented bartenders who work in perfect harmony to create what is now a nationally famous neighbourhood bar in Stirchley, in the burbs of Birmingham. It’s no coincidence that Couch’s owner Katie Rouse took the big individual prize: Bartender of the Year sponsored by Funkin Cocktails. A leading light of the UK bar scene in recent years Rouse is no stranger to a finalist list. Her maiden win comes off the back of a big year at her Birmingham neighbourhood bar Couch, where the level of the drinks is only matched by the vibe and service.
The Food Menu of the Year sponsored by Mothaiba also went to a Birmingham venue: Passing Fancies. The food here isn’t the work of a professional chef but co-owner Eve Green, who is fast fulfilling that description. The bartender turned cook, has designed an ever-moving menu of small plates of fresh food that bends the notion of what bar food from a small kitchen can be.
In the Best Bar in Scotland category, Panda & Sons starred, with voters impressed not only by the bar’s warm hospitality and vintage vibes but its menu Transcend 2.0, which investigates sub-zero flavour creation techniques. Owner Iain McPherson continues to inspire globally with his cocktail-making innovations, while back home, he’s behind the Edinburgh Bar Show and Panda & Sons’ all-new Highland Games, all of which helped to make him the Bar Innovator of the Year sponsored by Burnt Faith for the third year running.
Also in Scotland, Michele Mariotti of The American Bar at Gleneagles, won Bar Manager of the Year sponsored by Italicus. A former finalist in this category, Mariotti is the inspirational leader behind Gleneagles’ rise to becoming one of the UK’s foremost destinations for bars. His impact at the hotel’s flagship American Bar has been most profound, leading menu creation and a team of ambitious bartenders.
Meanwhile the Emerging Bartender of the Year sponsored by Monkey Shoulder went to Gracie Goggins who was an instrumental member of the Project Halcyon team in Manchester before moving on to The Last Word in Edinburgh. In a short time Goggins has made her mark, becoming well known on the cocktail competition circuit, taking part in the 1887 Collective and working to make the industry more inclusive.
Schofield’s Bar in Manchester was the choice of the CLASS Collective, for the Best Bar in the North. Launched in 2021, Schofield’s Bar sowed its roots quickly – just four years in and it feels like it’s been there a generation. Joe and Daniel Schofield’s bar combines the best of a hotel bar - classical drinks, décor and white-coated bartenders – with the informal vibes of an indie to create a timeless feel.
Also in Manchester, Blinker became a first-time Class Bar Awards winner, taking the gong for Bar Employer of the Year sponsored by The Lost Explorer. Dan Berger’s bar puts his team first, with 4-day working weeks, processes to ensure work-life balance and healthy living, all contributing to a creatively happy, ambitious workforce with high levels of retention.
Over in Liverpool, Bar Glue won the New Bar of the Year sponsored by Takamaka. The much-anticipated venue of Mike Bower and Nathan Price, who took on the old Burnt Milk Hotel site, bringing community vibes and smashable drinks to Liverpool’s Albert Docks.
Meanwhile the Best Bar in Wales sponsored by Porte Noire went to Tani Hasa’s Lab 22. This Cardiff bar is all about Wales, from its local ingredients to the people that produce them and the local community that frequent the bar. With knockout hospitality and some of the best drinks in the UK, Lab has become one of the best-known bars in the UK.
Across the River Severn, Ben Alcock’s Filthy XIII in Bristol took the award for Best Bar in the West. Once again, our voters’ favourite, this neighbourhood bar with paired-back decor and smashable cocktails, is a real bartenders’ bar.
New this year, the Best Bar in Northern Ireland category was competed by four Belfast venues and winning out was Rattlebag. Though part of the boutique Bullitt hotel, this bar feels every bit the independent, with modern technique-driven cocktails at the heart of this smart, red-hued table service venue.
The Sustainable Practices Award sponsored by Avallen Calvados this year went to Leeds bar Below Stairs, where an ethos of sustainability runs through everything they do, from ethical finance to energy, sourcing and supply, waste and recycling. Holding talks on tangible sustainability for bars nationally and internationally, Below Stairs has become a thought leader in the space.
Winning the Outstanding Contribution award sponsored by The Small Beer Company this year went to duo Mike Aikman and Jason Scott of Edinburgh bars Bramble, The Last Word and Lucky Liquor, Lucky liqueurs and events and consultancy company Mothership. Over the last two decades the pair have helped to put Edinburgh on the international map, while also mentoring many high-profile bartenders.
Hamish Smith editor of CLASS and co-host of the CLASS Bar Awards, said: “The UK bar industry has never been more multi-polar with its stars shining not only from London, but in the likes of Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh.” This year, that felt especially true, with three-quarters of our winners coming from outside of the capital.
“Despite challenging conditions for trading, the bar industry still manages to put its best foot forward – showing what a positive impact warm, creative and engaging hospitality has on the UK.”
Finalists and winners (W)
Front of House Star of the Year sponsored by Savoia
(W) Keila Urzaiz de Calignon, Satan's Whiskers, London
Andrea Gardiner, The American Bar at Gleneagles, Auchterarder
Kyriaki Dachtyloudi, The Spy Bar at Raffles London at The OWO, London
Liana Oster, Side Hustle, NoMad, London
Bar Innovator of the Year sponsored by Burnt Faith
(W) Iain McPherson, Panda & Sons, Edinburgh
Joe & Dan Schofield, Schofield's Bar, Manchester
Matt Arnold & Eve Green, Passing Fancies, Birmingham
Monica Berg & Alex Kratena, Tayer + Elementary, London
Bar Manager of the Year sponsored by Italicus
(W) Michele Mariotti, The American Bar at Gleneagles, Auchterarder
Holly Law, The Cocktail Trading Co, London
Jacob Clarke, Couch, Birmingham
Nicky Craig, Panda & Sons, Edinburgh
Emerging Bartender sponsored by Monkey Shoulder
(W) Gracie Goggins, The Last Word, Edinburgh
Chloe Yeung, Panda & Sons, Edinburgh
Keoghan Taylor, Kiki Lounge, Douglas, Isle of Man
Rory Carrodus, Blinker, Manchester
Bartender of the Year sponsored by Funkin Cocktails
(W) Katie Rouse, Couch, Birmingham
Courtney Francis, Couch, Birmingham
Elyse Von Ruinn, The Gate, Glasgow
Nathan Price, Bar Glue, Liverpool
Sustainable Practices Award sponsored by Avallen
(W) Below Stairs, Leeds
Kiki Lounge, Douglas, Isle of Man
PAL Bar + Kitchen, Grimsby
Ugly Butterfly Bar, Cornwall
Bar Employer of the Year sponsored by The Lost Explorer Tequila
(W) Blinker, Manchester
Couch, Birmingham
Kiki Lounge, Douglas, Isle of Man
The American Bar, Gleneagles, Auchterarder
Cocktail of the Year sponsored by Bessou London
(W) Sazzaquack, Three Sheets Soho, London
Porridge Colada, Nauticus, Edinburgh
Viennetta, Couch, Birmingham
W.I.N.E, Bar Glue, Liverpool
Drinks Menu of the Year sponsored by Franklin & Sons
(W) Lyaness, Sea Containers, London
Couch, Birmingham
Panda & Sons, Edinburgh
Speak in Code, Manchester
Bar Food Menu of the Year sponsored by Mothaiba
(W) Passing Fancies, Birmingham
Kwãnt, London
Side Hustle, NoMad, London
Tayer + Elementary, London
Hotel Bar of the Year sponsored by The Lost Explorer Mezcal
(W) Connaught Bar, The Connaught, London
Lyaness, Sea Containers, London
Side Hustle, NoMad, London
The American Bar, Gleneagles, Auchterarder
New Bar of the Year sponsored by Takamaka
(W) Bar Glue, Liverpool
Archive & Myth, London
Ego Death, Manchester
Three Sheets Soho, London
Best Bar in Northern Ireland
(W) Rattlebag, Bullitt Hotel, Belfast
Berts Jazz Bar, The Merchant Hotel, Belfast
The Cocktail Bar, The Merchant Hotel, Belfast
The Garrick, Belfast
Best Bar in Wales sponsored by Porte Noire
(W) Lab 22, Cardiff
Dead Canary, Cardiff
Nightshade, Cardiff
Penny, Cardiff
Best Bar in the West
(W) Filthy XIII, Bristol
Golden Crane, Bristol
Hideout, Bath
Milk Thistle, Bristol
Best Bar in the Midlands & East Anglia
(W) Couch, Birmingham
Fox & Chance, Birmingham
Lucky 7, Birmingham
Passing Fancies, Birmingham
Best Bar in Scotland
(W) Panda & Sons, Edinburgh
Bramble, Edinburgh
Hey Palu, Edinburgh
Nauticus, Edinburgh
Best Bar in Northern Ireland
Rattlebag, Bullitt Hotel, Belfast
Berts Jazz Bar, The Merchant Hotel, Belfast
The Cocktail Bar, The Merchant Hotel, Belfast
The Garrick, Belfast
London & the South East sponsored by Porte Noire
(W) Satan's Whiskers, London
Dram, London
Lyaness, Sea Containers, London
Three Sheets Soho, London
Best Bar in the North
(W) Schofield's Bar, Manchester
Bar Glue, Liverpool
Blinker, Manchester
Speak in Code, Manchester
Bar of The Year sponsored by Savoia
(W) Satan's Whiskers, London
Couch, Birmingham
Filthy XIII, Bristol
Lab 22, Cardiff
Panda & Sons, Edinburgh
Rattlebag, Belfast
Schofield's Bar, Manchester
Outstanding Achievement sponsored by Small Beer Company
(W) Mike Aikman and Jason Scott of Bramble, The Last Word, Lucky Liquor and Mothership
For press enquiries, contact CLASS editor Hamish Smith.