VisitEngland reveals Excellence Awards 2012 finalists

Formerly known as the Enjoy England Awards, the event is designed to celebrate the best tourism and hospitality businesses in the country. 

Hospitality businesses, including the Lowry hotel in Manchester and Rockliffe Hall Hotel & Spa in County Durham have made the shortlist in seven of the 15 award categories, which include Large and Small Hotel of the Year and Taste of England. 

Front-of-house teams managed by Fred Sirieix at Galvin at Windows and Michael Gore at Best Western Premier Leyland Hotel are also among those shortlisted for the Outstanding Customer Service of the Year Award. 

High level of entries​

This year's awards saw 392 companies within tourism and hospitality enter, from visitor attractions to B&Bs, hotels and pubs.

Both regional winners and direct entries for the awards were checked by independent assessors before being judged by a board of tourism industry experts chaired by VisitEngland board member David Orr. The judging panel, which also included travel broadcaster Alison Rice, whittled the list down to 69 finalists.

Jeremy Brinkworth, director of business development at VisitEngland and member of the judging panel, said: “We have had more entrants than ever before this year, and the sheer breadth and quality of events, businesses and organisations operating across England’s tourism industry has been truly inspiring.

"All the finalists should be extremely proud of their contribution both to their local area and to the industry as a whole, and it is very satisfying to reward their hard work and dedication.”

Winners are due to be announced at a ceremony at Athena in Leicester on 22 May.

The shortlisted categories including hospitality businesses as finalists were: ​

Access for All Tourism Award​

• Abbey Guest House, Oxon
• Great North Museum Hancock, Newcastle upon Tyne
• University of Leeds Storm Jameson Court, Leeds
• Leicester Theatre Trust, Leicester
• Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool
• The Beacon, Cumbria

Bed & Breakfast / Guest Accommodation of the Year​

• Dowfold House B&B, County Durham
• Meadowcroft Barn B&B, Bolton, Gtr Manchester
• Pentille Castle & Estate, St Mellion, Cornwall
• Roundhouse Barn Holidays, Cornwall
• The Ashton, Lancaster, Lancashire

Business Tourism Award​

• Cotswold Conference Centre, Worcestershire
• Ribby Hall Business & Conference Suite, Preston, Lancashire
• The Lowry Hotel, Manchester
• Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Yorkshire

Large Hotel of the Year​

• Bovey Castle, Devon
• Rockliffe Hall Hotel, Golf Spa Resort, County Durham
• Rudding Park, Yorkshire
• Trout Hotel, Cumbria

Small Hotel of the Year​

• Bath Priory, Bath
• Swinton Park, Yorkshire

Taste of England Award​

• British Larder, Suffolk
• Fischers at Baslow Hall, Derbyshire
• Fodder, Yorkshire
• George & Dragon, Cumbria
• Opus One Restaurant & Bar, Manchester

Outstanding Customer Service of the Year Award​

• Best Western Premier Leyland Hotel (Michael Gore)
• Galvin at Windows, London (Fred Sirieix Team)
• Macdonald Linden Hall Gold & Country Club, Northumberland (William Salve)
• Robin Hood Camping & Caravan Park, Yorkshire (Rebecca & Damian Palmer-Bunting)
• Ullswater Steamers, Cumbria (David Hall ‘Welsh Dave’)