BARBI was set up in late 2016 and the original idea was to put on a party for the industry after staff had dealt with the influx of revellers during the Xmas period. A successful first event followed in January 2017 at Club 48 on Park Street and having a number of business owners there it became apparent that the industry did not have its own voice in Bristol and needed one.

Within the first quarter of 2017 BARBI (originally BARBIE but changed due to the plastic American doll) became an association with 3 key aims:

1. Voice and influence with Bristol City Council.

2. A purchasing group to allow members to access some of the savings enjoyed by the chains and pub co’s.

3. A network for sharing information for both staff and owners.

Since then we have been able to employ full time staff, been heavily involved in national campaigns benefitting the hospitality industry, grown our network to approaching 12,000 members and over 450 venue members, become the largest recruitment portal for the industry, stopped venues from being closed down, and lots more.
Our aim for 2023 is to expand BARBI across the whole of the West of England Combined Authority area as well as launch BARBI South Wales. This should have happened in 2021 but the pandemic slowed us down a bit.
We’ll continue to champion the hospitality industry even when some of the powers that be dismiss it.