Winners of VisitEngland Awards 2014 announced
The winners of the 2014 VisitEngland Awards for Excellence have been announced, including the Business Tourism Award, the Large Hotel of the Year, the Taste of England Award, and Tourism Pub Award.
Most notable gold winners included the Emirates Old Trafford stadium (Business Tourism Award), Burleigh Court in Leicestershire (Large Hotel of the Year), the 1884 Dock Street Kitchen in Hull (Taste of England Award), The Feathered Nest Country Inn in Oxfordshire (Tourism Pub of the Year), and the Old Rectory Hotel in Devon (Small Hotel of the Year).
Gold, silver and bronze awards were available for each of the 18 categories, although not all were awarded all three. Each category also highlighted at least one highly commended venue.
Other categories included Self Catering Holiday Provider, Small Visitor Attraction, Access for All Tourism Award, Caravan or Holiday Village of the Year, Tourism Experience of the Year, and Bed & Breakfast, and Sustainable Tourism.
The black-tie dinner and awards ceremony took place on 12 May at Cheltenham Racecourse. Presenters of the Gold accolades included former Olympic athlete Jonathan Edwards; chairman of VisitEngland, Penelope, Viscountess Cobham; and chief executive of VisitEngland James Berresford, along with a host of others from within the hospitality industry.
The awards seek to recognise the role of independent businesses in promoting tourism across England, and also focus on major attractions and events. Last year's winners included ExCel London (Business Tourism); the Swan in Suffolk (Large Hotel); Gidleigh Park, Devon (Small Hotel) and Overwater Hall in Cumbria (Taste of England).
Speaking of the awards, minister for tourism Helen Grant congratulated the winners. She said: "The tourism industry is playing a key part in our economic growth strategy and VisitEngland's Awards for Excellence celebrates all the very best visitor experiences on offer."
FULL LIST OF WINNERS
Self-Catering Holiday Provider of the Year
Gold Trevase Cottages, Herefordshire
Silver East View Farm Holiday Cottages, Norfolk
Bronze The Dandelion Hideaway Leicestershire
Highly Commended
Corner Cottage, Nettlecombe Farm Holidays, Isle of Wight
Staying Cool at the Rotunda, Birmingham, West Midlands
Business Tourism Award
Gold Emirates Old Trafford, Old Trafford, Manchester
Silver Keele University Conferences & Events, Staffordshire
Bronze ExCeL London, London
Highly Commended
Arundell Arms Hotel, Devon
The Lowry, Greater Manchester
Small Visitor Attraction of the Year
Gold The Galleries of Justice Museum, Nottinghamshire
Silver National Trust Coleridge Cottage, Somerset
Bronze Chiltern Open Air Museum, Buckinghamshire
Highly Commended
Museum of East Anglian Life, Suffolk
Shepherd Neame Visitor Centre, Kent
Large Hotel of the Year
Gold Burleigh Court, Leicestershire
Silver Hope Street hotel, Liverpool
Highly Commended
Ellenborough Park, Gloucestershire
Peckforton Castle Hotel, Cheshire
Rockliffe Hall, County Durham
Tourism Superstar
Gold Buzby Allen, Norfolk
Silver Ade Andrews, The Robin Hood Town Tour, Nottingham
Taste of England Award
Gold 1884 Dock Street Kitchen, East Yorkshire
Silver The Parkers Arms, Lancashire
Bronze Eckington Manor, Worcestershire
Highly Commended
Delifonseca Dockside, Liverpool
River Cottage Canteen and Deli, Devon
Access for All Tourism Award
Gold Calvert Trust Exmoor, Devon
Silver Sandcastle Waterpark, Lancashire
Bronze Eureka! National Children's Museum, West Yorkshire
Highly Commended
Curve, Leicester, Leicester
Jurys Inn Brighton, East Sussex
Living Options Devon - Countryside Mobility Scheme, Devon
Visitor Information Provider of the Year
Gold Gloucester Tourist Information Centre, Gloucestershire
Silver English Riviera Tourism Company, Devon
Bronze City of London Information Centre, London
Highly Commended
Newcastle Gateshead Visitor Information Service, Tyne and Wear
Visit Garstang Centre, Lancashire
Caravan Holiday Park / Holiday Village of the Year
Gold Seafield Caravan Park, Seahouses, Northumberland
Silver Gwel an Mor Resort, Portreath, Cornwall
Bronze
Highly Commended
Hoburne Bashley, Hampshire
Tourism Pub of the Year
Gold The Feathered Nest Country Inn, Oxfordshire
Silver The Watermill Inn & Brewery, Cumbria
Bronze The Horse and Jockey, Rutland
Highly Commended
South Causey Inn, County Durham
The Pandora Inn, Cornwall
Travel Article of the Year
Gold Nigel Richardson "LS Lowry's favourite haunts on England's north-east coast", published in the Daily Telegraph
Silver James Ellis "Alternative cycling (on a trike!) through Yorkshire", published in The Times
Bronze Nicholas Crane "Cycling from London to Devon", published in The Daily Telegraph
Tourism Experience of the Year
Gold Titanic & Liverpool: the untold story, Merseyside Maritime Museum
Silver Lindisfarne Gospels Durham - lead partner Durham University, Durham
Bronze Ezekial Bone - Nottingham Robin Hood Town Tour, Nottinghamshire
Highly Commended
Calvert Trust Exmoor, Devon
VisitBlackpool / Blackpool Resort Pass, Lancashire
Bed & Breakfast / Guest Accommodation of the Year
Gold St Cuthbert's House, Northumberland
Silver Eckington Manor, Worcestershire
Bronze Kester House Bed & Breakfast, East Sussex
Highly Commended
Browns of Holbeck, Nottinghamshire
Low Mill Guesthouse, North Yorkshire
Sustainable Tourism Award
Gold Little White Alice - your wild Cornish retreat, Cornwall
Silver Bleasdale Cottages, Lancashire
Bronze Killhope - The North of England Lead Mining Museum, Weardale
Highly Commended
Colton House, Staffordshire
Newlands Adventure Centre, Cumbria
Small Hotel of the Year
Gold The Old Rectory Hotel, Devon
Silver Swinton Park, North Yorkshire
Bronze Rothay Garden, Lake District
Highly Commended
Brockencote Hall, Chaddesley Corbett, Worcestershire
Hell Bay Hotel, Isles of Scilly
Large Visitor Attraction of the Year
Gold Tatton Park, Cheshire
Silver Trebah Garden, Cornwall
Bronze Walby Farm Park, Cumbria
Highly Commended
The Trentham Estate, Staffordshire
Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Telford
Tourism Event of the Year
Gold Kendal Mountain Festival, Cumbria
Silver Beaulieu International Autojumble, Hampshire
Bronze Elemental Force: Derbyshire - Chatsworth and the Silk Mill, Derbyshire, and Elemental Force, Nottinghamshire
Highly Commended
Trent Bridge; The Investec Ashes Test, Nottinghamshire
Outstanding Contribution to Tourism ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents)
VisitEngland report highlights need for tourism to embrace technology >>
https://www.catererandhotelkeeper.co.uk/Articles/5/12/2013/350685/visitengland-report-highlights-need-for-tourism-to-embrace-technology.htm
VisitEngland announces Awards for Excellence finalists >> http://www.catererandhotelkeeper.co.uk/articles/2/4/2014/351929/visitengland-announces-awards-for-excellence-finalists.htm
VisitEngland releases guide to responding to extreme weather >> http://www.catererandhotelkeeper.co.uk/articles/24/2/2014/351486/visitengland-releases-guide-to-responding-to-extreme-weather.htm