The Great English Pub Wins Tourism Award - The Great English Pub Wins Tourism Award

The Great English Pub Wins Tourism Award - The Great English Pub Wins Tourism Award

The Great English Pub Wins Tourism Award - The Great English Pub Wins Tourism Award

24 April 2009

The great English ‘pub' has scooped the award for ‘outstanding contribution to tourism' at this year's Enjoy England Awards for Excellence, organised by VisitEngland and sponsored by The Caravan Club. Actor Neil Morrissey, proprietor of the restored Ye Olde Punch Bowl Inn pub in Yorkshire, picked up the prestigious tourism award on behalf of all publicans at last night's award ceremony.

Previous winners of this outstanding contribution award have included Michael Eavis CBE, HM The Queen, the Harry Potter films, Sir Cameron Mackintosh and in 2007, Sir Paul McCartney and Liverpool. This year's accolade was given to pubs for the integral part they play in the fabric of the English way of life and the opportunity they provide for domestic and international visitors to meet local people and enjoy local foods and drink. Research carried out by VisitEngland has revealed that many visitors from overseas put visiting a pub very high on their list of things to do on their holiday in England. A delighted Neil Morrissey said: "I am honoured to accept this award on behalf of everyone who loves their local pub and loves visiting pubs as they travel around the country. Pubs are important. Having restored a pub myself at the centre of a village I really believe they are the heart and soul of communities and the place that should offer the best welcome to visitors. I am thrilled to accept this award on behalf of publicans everywhere for the huge work they do in supporting local tourism."

The Enjoy England Awards for Excellence were held in The National Railway Museum in York, on 23 April as a celebration of St George's Day. Celebrating their 20th Anniversary, these annual tourism ‘BAFTAs' recognise the crème de la crème of domestic tourism. The eighteen gold winners in this year's awards include an eco-friendly café in Devon, London walking tours, beautifully converted medieval cottages set in an apple orchard in Herefordshire, a country B&B in Cumbria offering extraordinary castle style accommodation and a caravan park in Devon providing luxury touring facilities all year round. Lady Cobham, new VisitEngland chairman said: "The Enjoy England Awards for Excellence recognise the rising quality and diversity of holiday experiences on offer in England. On the twentieth anniversary of the awards, we are delighted that there is such a broad range of exciting, unique, high quality holiday experiences on offer in England particularly as holidaymakers are looking to take a break closer to home this year. More than ever this year, the winners showcase excellent value for money English breaks and some of England's best-kept secrets from foodie gems and quirky attractions to sustainable coffee shops and inspirational information services. England is an exciting world-class tourism destination, in which to discover something new. We are proud to honour the people behind those outstanding tourism businesses who play a vital role in encouraging visitors to holiday in England."

Director General of The Caravan Club, Trevor Watson said: "As a provider of quality accommodation ourselves, we are very proud to sponsor these awards which recognise the finest in English tourism. This sector is a true success story where we are witnessing ever-improving standards. Enjoy England Awards for Excellence nominees continually raise the bar and exceed expectations so I congratulate each and every winner for their amazing personal achievement and all the hard work these accolades represent".

Full details of all the winners are available on www.enjoyengland.com/excellence and they are

  • Bed and breakfast of the year Augill Castle, South Stainmore near Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria (www.stayinacastle.com; 01768 341937)
  • Sustainable tourism award of the year The Venus Company, Halwell, Totnes, Devon (www.venuscompany.co.uk; 01803 712648)
  • Hotel of the year Gidleigh Park, Chagford, Devon (www.gidleigh.com; 01647 432367)
  • Caravan holiday park of the year Hidden Valley Park, West Down, near Ilfracombe, North Devon (www.hiddenvalleypark.com; 01271 813 837)
  • Taste of England award The Pipe & Glass Inn, South Dalton, Beverley in East Yorkshire (www.pipeandglass.co.uk 01430 810246)
  • Small visitor attraction of the year 78 Derngate: The Charles Rennie Mackintosh House and Galleries in Northampton (www.78derngate.org.uk; 01604 603407)
  • Large visitor attraction of the year Harewood House in Harewood, Leeds (www.harewood.org; 0113 218 1010)
  • Self-catering holiday of the year - was jointly awarded to Noelle's Cottages in Middleton, Pickering, North Yorkshire (www.noellescottages.co.uk; 01751 472 283) and the Woodhouse Farm Cottages in Staplow, Ledbury, Herefordshire (www.thewoodhousefarm.co.uk; 01531 640030)
  • Best tourism experience of the year is The London Walks (www.londonwalks.com; 020 7624 3978)
  • Best business tourism of the year The Rheged Centre in Penrith, Cumbria (www.rheged.com; 01768 868000)
  • Outstanding customer service of the year Robert Evans of the SS Great Britain Trust in Bristol (www.ssgreatbritain.org; 0117 926 0680)
  • Tourist Information Centre of the Year (TIC) winner is The Chesterfield Tourist Information Centre in Rykneld Square, Chesterfield (www.visitchesterfield.info; 01246 345777)
  • The Tourism Website of the Year winner is www.northumberlandbedandbreakfast.co.uk; the website for The Old School five-star bed and breakfast in Newton on the Moor, Northumberland (01665 575 767)
  • The Access for All Tourism winner is The Hytte, a Norwegian inspired, traditional timber mountain lodge near Hexham in Bingfield near Hexham, Northumberland (www.thehytte.com; 0143 4672 321)
  • The Journalist of the Year is Chris Haslam for his family holiday campervan series in The Sunday Times (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/system/topicRoot/Camper_van_man_s_tour_of_the_Br/)
  • Travelmail award for The Best Day Out, is The Minack Theatre in Cornwall (www.minack.com; 01736 810181)

ENDS

For further press information contact:
Lucy Pennington/Peggy Amarteifio or Debbie Hindle, bgb communications: 020 7902 2990, lpennington@bgb.co.uk / pamarteifio@bgb.co.uk
Jeremy Brinkworth, VisitEngland: 020 8563 3131, Jeremy.Brinkworth@visitengland.org or Stephanie Boyle, VisitEngland: 020 8563 3378, Stephanie.boyle@visitengland.org


Notes to Editors:
§ For images of the ‘Gold' and ‘Silver' winners, please visit http://pa.photoshelter.com/c/grahamjepson

§ For A-roll footage of all the Gold winners, please visit www.itnconsulting.co.uk/enjoyengland

§ The Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2009 celebrate the best of English tourism and are in their twentieth year. They promote healthy industry competition and high standards, helping to ensure England's place as a world-class destination.

§ There are seventeen different categories, from visitor attractions and hotels to self-catering accommodation and caravan parks. Entries are submitted to the regional tourism partners and then short-listed to the national finals, culminating in the Awards ceremony in April.

§ Previously the England Marketing Advisory Board, VisitEngland is legally the English Tourist Board, whose marketing activities are implemented by VisitBritain's England marketing division through its Enjoy England and Meet England campaigns.

§ VisitBritain is responsible for promoting Britain as a world-class tourist destination and for developing England's visitor economy through enjoyEngland campaigns and initiatives.

§ UK residents took 101 million trips, spending £16.2 billion in England in 2006. Since its launch in 2003, Enjoy England has been responsible for £450m of incremental spend on short breaks in England. In addition to national TV advertising campaigns to inspire British visitors to share their secrets of England, the current portfolio of campaigns focuses on city breaks, outdoor activities, food and drink and indulgent escapes. Enjoy England also markets England in France, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.

§ An archive of media releases and more details about the work of VisitEngland promoting England as a destination can be found on the new online press centre, www.enjoyengland.com/presscentre

§ The Caravan Club - As Europe's premier touring organisation, The Caravan Club represents the interests of one million caravanners, motor caravanners and trailer tenters. The Club operates the largest privately owned network of quality sites in the UK, together with a further 2,500 Certificated Locations (sites that take a maximum of five outfits). For more information visit The Club's award-winning website at www.caravanclub.co.uk. For more press information please contact The Caravan Club Press Office on 01342 336664 or 01342 336768, or email press@caravanclub.co.uk

§ VisitEngland's nine Regional Tourism Partners are: East of England Tourism, East Midlands Tourism, Advantage West Midlands, Visit London, One NorthEast, Northwest Regional Development Agency, Tourism South East, South West Tourism, Welcome to Yorkshire.

§ The Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2009 Gold winners are:
The Bed and Breakfast of the Year winner is Augill Castle in Cumbria - a dramatic country family home, which offers extraordinary castle style accommodation. The imposing property is the perfect venue for a house party or wedding celebration as it offers exclusive hire. It features twelve individually themed rooms and can seat up to 48 for dinner around two eighteen-foot oak dining hall tables. The castle is also ideal for a family escapade with lots of facilities for children including a playground, treehouse, trampoline, an extensive library of videos and DVDs, games room, toys for all ages and a whole castle complete with towers and turrets to explore. For breakfast, a selection of dishes based on fresh local products including smoked fish are available. Awards judges commented that the castle offers incredible diversity and a real alternative to self-catering for people who want to be cooked for. (www.stayinacastle.com; 01768 341937)

The Venus Company received a ‘Gold Award' in the Sustainable Tourism Award of the Year category. "Loving the Beach" sums up the ethos behind The Venus Company comprising a mix of cafes and beach shops in Blackpool Sands, East Portlemouth and Bigbury on Sea in Devon and Tolcarne in Cornwall. The company strives to integrate environmental and social care into every aspect of decision-making. Venus's green-friendly policies include water monitoring, the use of solar panels, recycling, locally sourced organic food and ethically sourced products. The Venus Beach Wildlife Fund aims to fund visitors' educational programmes on beach conservation. The company also offers free activity books with kids' meals featuring environmental messages to increase awareness of the sea and shoreline. Venus' unique proposition, which differentiates it from the traditional UK beach business, has resulted in an average annual 15% sales growth since 2001. Judges commented that ‘the English coastline is one of our major assets and The Venus Company are doing a great job in acting as one of its custodians". They also added that the company is "proof that sustainability can be fun, profitable and absolutely enhance a destination". (www.venuscompany.co.uk; 01803 712648)

The Hotel of the Year winner is Gidleigh Park Hotel, a charming tudor-style country house hotel in Dartmoor National Park in Devon. With 54 acres of beautiful parklands and the North Teign River flowing through its grounds, Gidleigh Park is set in a breathtaking location. The property offers 24 individually designed rooms, each boasting river, moorland or forest views. Antiques, paintings, prints and other works of art combine with modern comforts such as marble-clad bathrooms, gorgeous wet rooms and HD flat screen televisions. Priding itself for its gastronomic success, Gidleigh Park's restaurant specialises in innovative modern European cuisine and has earned two Michelin stars. New features completed last year include a herb garden to supply the kitchen with fresh home grown produce, a newly resurfaced tennis court, croquet lawns, ongoing work to improve the 18 hole golf course, bowling green and a guest pantry. Guests can also indulge themselves by booking Dartmeet, a dedicated spa suite. Awards judges commented that the hotel displayed: "an overall faultless wow experience on par with best of England." (www.gidleigh.com; 01647 432367)

This year's Caravan Holiday Park of the Year winner is Hidden Valley Park, in Devon. Nestled amid 27 acres of countryside, it is the only park in the region to offer luxury touring facilities all year round. Hidden Valley provides a range of superbly maintained pitches for caravans, motor homes and campers as well as a three-bedroom self-catering chalet sleeping up to five people. Three years of investment has led to exciting new developments including the addition of premier pitches with space for a car, a caravan and a generous garden; a new therapy room; an upgraded amenities block with under-floor heating and thermostatically controlled showers and an eco store to complement an existing coffee shop. Hidden Valley has a sustainable water treatment system, nature events, green tariff electricity, local community recycling and has won the Gold David Bellamy Award for eight consecutive years. Judges described the park as ‘an outstanding touring site catering for both caravanners and tent tourers, with an excellent commitment to the environment and a standard of customer care which all tourism businesses should aim to emulate'. (www.hiddenvalleypark.com; 01271 813 837)

The Pipe & Glass Inn in East Yorkshire scooped the Taste of England Award. It is a charming Michelin ‘Bib Gourmand' country inn and pub with plenty of local food and wines. Proprietors James MacKenzie and Kate Boroughs took over The Pipe & Glass Inn in March 2006 and undertook a full refurbishment. The bar has kept a country pub feel, while the restaurant has been transformed into a warm, welcoming, more contemporary area, with bespoke wooden tables and a conservatory area overlooking the garden and housing a spectacular long table seating up to 24 people. The inn is committed to sourcing as much local and seasonal produce as possible - with quality remaining at the forefront. The menu changes regularly and includes vegetarian options and if there is something that guests would like to see on the menu, they just simply need to tell the owners. The wine list is sourced entirely from small producers and there is also a wide selection of regularly changing hand-pulled ales on offer. The Pipe and Glass Inn was praised for offering ‘a truly excellent taste of England'. (www.pipeandglass.co.uk; 01430 810246)

78 Derngate: The Charles Rennie Mackintosh House and Galleries in Northampton is the winner of Small Visitor Attraction of the Year (fewer than 100,000 visitors per year). Re-modelled by world-famous Scottish architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh and local enterprising businessman Bassett-Lowke, 78 Derngate is now managed by a charitable trust and has been restored to its historic 1917 appearance. The £1.4m restoration includes a new visitor centre and exhibition space as well as a new staircase that wraps around the 4-storey glass cabinet that holds a series of exhibits relating to both Mackintosh and Bassett-Lowke. The adjoining building, 82 Derngate, has been transformed into a stunning combination of Regency grandeur housing the glamorous new restaurant, galleries, atrium, shop and reception. The attraction is now run by four paid employees and an army of 100 volunteers. These developments, combined with extended opening hours at 78 Derngate, have boosted new and repeat visitor numbers and according to research, 49% of all visitors are generated via word of mouth recommendations. Judges commented that: ‘the effective visitor flow throughout the attraction, its authenticity and attention to detail coupled with knowledgeable and enthusiastic guides provides a wonderful experience.' (www.78derngate.org.uk; 01604 603407)

Two finalists were presented with ‘Gold' awards in the Self-Catering Holiday of the Year - Noelle's Cottages in Yorkshire and the Woodhouse Farm Cottages, Ledbury, Herefordshire. Noelle's Cottages are a collection of three cosy, stylish and luxurious cottages set in the grounds of a Georgian House in Middleton, close to Pickering. The three carefully renovated self-catering cottages incorporate modern interior and fabrics with wireless broadband internet and are each set in their own secluded garden, providing guests with complete privacy to relax. Owner, Noelle has paid great attention to detail and provides guests with a home from home feel with added touches such as freshly baked scones on arrival (www.noellescottages.co.uk; 01751 472 283). Woodhouse Farm Cottages comprise three beautifully converted medieval cottages uniquely located in an apple orchard in Herefordshire, a few hundred yards from an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The cottages, each featuring their own south facing, sunny gardens, are set within fifteen acres of grounds belonging to The Woodhouse, a Grade II listed, part-moated medieval hall house. Beauty treatments are available by appointment and there is also free wireless internet access and a range of dining options such as picnic hampers and locally made gourmet dishes. Judges praised the two businesses for their outstanding quality and raising the standard of self-catering to a new, high level. (www.thewoodhousefarm.co.uk; 01531 640030).

The winner of the Best Tourism Experience Award recognising both ongoing and one-off events is The London Walks. Launched in the 1960s, The London Walks are one of the oldest urban walking companies in the world and offer a year-round service. The company offers more than 400 different walking tours fronted by 70 world-class guides, including several renowned actors, Donald Rumbelow, Britain's most distinguished crime historian and an expert on Jack the Ripper, plus qualified Blue Badge and City of London Guides. New themed walks are added every year - in 2008, the company launched a series of walks on Gandhi's London and a Foodies' West End walk. This spring, it is introducing some walks for the East London Festival following a request from the Mayor. In a bid to improve its service to customers, the website has been enhanced to include a walkers' feedback facility, audio guides to provide a taster of the guides in action as well as film footage illustrating exactly what customers can expect. Judges described the walks as ‘consistently providing a fun, green, entertaining and value for money experience all year round.' (www.londonwalks.com; 020 7624 3978)

Harewood House in Leeds was awarded the ‘Gold' award for the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year category (more than 100,000 visitors per year). Home to the Queen's cousin, the Earl of Harewood, Harewood House provides a great day out for all the family. Built in the mid-18th century, the house features outstanding art collections, splendid State Rooms and a fascinating ‘Below Stairs' exhibition. Set in spectacular landscaped grounds, Harewood House also includes formal gardens, gentle woodland, a Bhutanese Stupa, waterfall, Bird and Himalayan Garden. Guests can delve into the history with the Harewood 1807 exhibit, marvel at the Adam ceilings and Old Master paintings in the House, explore the gardens with the numerous walks on offer, while youngsters can enjoy the challenge and excitement of the Adventure Playground. Judges commented that Harewood House ‘shows excellent visitor engagement and is English heritage at its best". (www.harewood.org; 0113 218 1010)

The Business Tourism Award was won by The Rheged Centre in Penrith, Cumbria. Rheged is an eco-friendly family business and the perfect venue for conferences with seven rooms that can hold up to 200 people, two halls ideal for fairs, festivals and corporate events as well as evening functions for up to 300 people. There are 450 free car parking spaces and marshalling is available for vehicles during set up and breakdown. The Rheged Centre's facilities include a theatre and auditorium for speakers, demonstrations and audio visual presentations, multiple visitor access points, a Cumbria information centre and a new free ‘Discovering Cumbria' exhibition. The centre also has on-site catering, public cafés, a bar, specialist shops offering local crafts and produce and a restaurant serving a wide variety fresh foods with a distinct Cumbrian emphasis. Corporate attendees can let off steam with indoor soft play and creative workshops. Judges awarded the centre for ‘showing that business tourism can be green and continuing to invest to provide the best overall service for business". (www.rheged.com; 01768 868000)

The Outstanding Customer Service Award was won by Robert (Bob) Evans of the SS Great Britain Trust, in Bristol. Since he started work for the SS Great Britain Trust over 20 years ago, ship steward Bob Evans has consistently demonstrated exceptional standards of care. Affectionately known as ‘Captain Bob', his approach and attention to detail is appreciated by colleagues, clients and trustees. Bob routinely goes beyond the normal call of duty - ever helpful and flexible, he is happy to support media events on board ship including filming to 2.15am for Living TV's Most Haunted. He is adept at cross-marketing and in securing repeat business. As an additional service, Bob has also developed optional and bespoke tours ranging from the ship's history to Brunel engineering. In 2007/08, more than 80 per cent of thank-you letters received by Brunel's SS Great Britain mentioned Bob by name, praising his efforts. Judges commented: "it is wonderful to see such enthusiasm and commitment for his work and Bob shows why England leads the way in attractions and the visitor experience." (www.ssgreatbritain.org; 0117 926 0680)

This year's Tourist Information Centre of the Year (TIC) winner is The Chesterfield Tourist Information Centre. Located in Rykneld Square next to Chesterfield's major attraction, the 'Crooked Spire' Church, the TIC works in partnership with local councils in joint promotions and brochure productions and by supporting the Local Tourism Forum. Recent innovations include providing online accommodation reservations via the VisitChesterfield and VisitPeakDistrict websites; offering free, one-to-one training to accommodation providers to help maximise online reservations and becoming the sole booking office for the Peak District's Historic Border Country Walking Festival. The centre is fully accessible to people with disabilities. To support the local community, staff at the TIC helped to develop a series of trails by car, on foot and by bike starting at the TIC. Gifts are also sourced locally. (www.visitchesterfield.info; 01246 345777)

The Tourism Website of the Year winner is www.northumberlandbedandbreakfast.co.uk, the website for The Old School five-star bed and breakfast in Northumberland. This redesigned website has been enhanced to convey a more sophisticated layout, superior photography and more appealing colours. Key improvements have been made including virtual tours of the rooms, the ability to check availability and select a room, a link to Trip Advisor featuring excellent independent reviews of the property, a downloadable brochure with menu details, a link to local events and a prominent Book Online button. With clean, uncluttered pages and the use of plenty of white space, navigation is easy and user-friendly - a crucial factor as online bookings have now grown to represent 60 per cent of The Old School's business. (www.northumberlandbedandbreakfast.co.uk; 01665 575 767)

The Access for All Tourism winner is The Hytte, a Norwegian inspired, traditional timber mountain lodge near Hexham in Northumberland. The couple designed and constructed the self-catering holiday cottage themselves after buying 1.35 acres of farmland in the tranquil Northumbria countryside. The Gregorys' philosophy is to create a place where people of different abilities can come together, confident that adaptations are in place, which will enable them to enjoy a carefree holiday. All four bedrooms are accessible for families who have more than one disabled member. The garden, playfield, patio furniture, wildlife area and hot tub, are all accessible to wheelchair users, while a grass grid enables wheelchair users to enjoy the surrounding field and wildlife areas. Guests are also provided with details of local carers should they need assistance. With 70 per cent of all bookings including a guest with disabilities, The Hytte is successfully ensuring access for all. The Gregorys have also shared their expertise with members of the Hadrian's Wall Network and other tourism providers. (www.thehytte.com; 0143 4672 321)

The Journalist of the Year is Chris Haslam for his family holiday campervan series in The Sunday Times. Judges noted that the piece captured the zeitgiest this year with camping and caravanning booming during the economic uncertainty. The series gave extensive coverage of resorts with lots of nuggets information - particularly around food, recognised the family dynamic and captured the cheerful energy that categorises the seaside. The judges also commented that the series locked into real people and real communities and made them laugh with quirky local stories.
The series can be viewed at the following link http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/system/topicRoot/Camper_van_man_s_tour_of_the_Br/

Finally, the winner of the consumer voted Travelmail award for The Best Day Out is The Minack Theatre in Cornwall. Launched in 2008, this category attracted thousands of votes from Travelmail readers who voted in their droves for The Minack Theatre. The winning visitor verdict is the following: "My perfect day out would be driving to Sennon Cove in Cornwall, sitting by the beach watching the waves whilst having lunch and then heading to the Minack Theatre, at Porthcurno to enjoy one of their fantastic open air shows." (www.minack.com; 01736 810181)

 

 

 

    

 

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