Newcomer of the Year

Coniston Hall Lodge and Restaurant

"There can be no better genuine newcomer than this one. They've done something particularly tough and done it very well and it captures the whole spirit of this award."

So said judge Jeremy Logie on the winner of the 2000 Newcomer of the Year Catey, a hotel which proves that good service, good facilities and simple hard work can pay off no matter where the location.

Coniston Hall Lodge and Restaurant is a 40-bedroom lodge-style hotel, privately owned and run by the Bannister family, chairman Michael, food and beverage director Tom, and Rebecca Roberts, the director of accommodation.

At first glance, the hotel's location on a farm diversification near Skipton in North Yorkshire is awkward, something the judges noted straight away. But through sheer determination and hard graft the hotel opened on time and on budget in December 1998.

As well as the bedrooms, it offers corporate entertainment, fishing, shooting, archery and even off-road driving. Its basic rack rate is a reasonable £59.95 and there are three food and beverage outlets - Macleod's Bar, the 65-seat Winston's Bistro and the 90-seat main restaurant.

Since opening it has already picked up the Newcomer of the Year award from the Yorkshire Tourist Board and an AA rosette at the first inspection of its food in May 1999. Its financial health, an important factor for the judges, is good - its first year of trading saw it 20% up on a budget the Bannisters themselves describe as "ambitious."

So, given these achievements, the Bannisters must be old hands at the hotel business, mustn't they? Not so: Michael Bannister previously farmed the land and spent his working life running a textile marketing business.

Another of the Bannisters' skills applauded by the judges was their use of Government grants and assistance to get the business off the ground. In December 1997 the project was awarded funding from the Government's Objective 5B initiative, designed to provide assistance to new businesses in areas where employment was traditionally in the farming industry.

This was a popular choice among this year's Catey judges, all praising not just the standards of the hotel but also the family's bravery and own financial commitment to the property.

"They're newcomers in the true sense," said Stephen Mulligan. "They've very courageously identified a niche in the budget sector which is very different from the Posthouse-style concept."

Michael Purtill agreed: "It is extremely difficult to make a name and get some credibility in that market, and it's really well done. A pure newcomer in every sense of the word, and very brave."

But ultimately it is the guests who truly judge the hotel, and some of the quotes from its guest comment book say it all. "Excellent hotel with gorgeous grounds, definitely worth a second visit," said one visitor. "Your reception staff are probably the best I have encountered after extensive world travel," said another.

The last word goes to John Jarvis, who summed up the feelings of all the judges: "I think these awards need to applaud things that are slightly different," he says. "And the risk they've taken, the inspiration and the financial commitment of the owners of this place, for me, makes it jump out from all the others."

Judges

Pascal Aussignac, head chef, Club Gascon, London

Jeremy Logie, chairman, Joint Hospitality Industry Congress

John Jarvis, chairman and chief executive, Jarvis Hotels

Stephen Mulligan, regional vice-president, Bass Hotels & Resorts

Michael Purtill, managing director, Paramount Hotels

Sponsored by Christie Group