Enjoy Staffordshire Awards

Tourism and food businesses recognised at awards

BUSINESSES from across the Newcastle area and beyond have come out tops at an annual awards ceremony.

A number of Staffordshire tourism and hospitality businesses have been crowned at the recent Enjoy Staffordshire Tourism and Good Food Awards 2022.

Following a two-year hiatus due to coronavirus, businesses from across the county gathered at Keele Hall, Newcastle-under-Lyme, for the glittering black-tie event, which was sponsored by We are Staffordshire and organised by Enjoy Staffordshire.

A spokesman for Enjoy Staffordshire said: “An audience of more than 250 guests saw the winners of 16 categories, including The Trentham Estate (Large Visitor Attraction of the Year), Foxfield Railway (Small Visitor Attraction of the Year), and No26 at Aston Marina (Independent Restaurant of the Year), announced by the host, BBC Midlands Today’s Rebecca Wood.

“The CBeebies Land Hotel at Alton Towers Resort was named Hotel of the Year, while The Meynell Ingram Arms at Hoar Cross, near Burton, was Pub of the Year, and the Ramblers Retreat won the Tea Room/Coffee Shop of the Year award.

“The Experience of the Year went to Moddershall Oaks, New Business of the Year was Play@ Lower Drayton Farm, near Penkridge, and Denstone Hall Farm Shop, near Uttoxeter, was the Food & Drink Retailer/Farm Shop of the Year.

“B&B and Guest House of the Year was The Little George in Eccleshall, and the Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year award went to Mayfield Snuggery, on the Staffordshire-Derbyshire border.”

The spokesman continued: “And there were further wins for The Trentham Estate, in the Resilience & Innovation and Unsung Hero categories, and Alton Towers Resort, which was successful in the Accessible & Inclusive Tourism and the Ethical, Responsible & Sustainable Tourism categories.

“There was also a special award for Outstanding Contribution to Tourism in Staffordshire presented to The Very Reverend Adrian Dorber, Dean of Lichfield, in recognition of his work to position Lichfield Cathedral as a premier historic and religious tourist destination.

Councillor Philip White, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member with responsibility for tourism at Staffordshire County Council, said: “Our annual awards are a wonderful celebration of our amazing tourism sector and an event we all look forward to.

“Our tourism businesses continue to deliver year on year, attracting more and more visitors to the county, generating millions of pounds

for our local economy and sustaining tens of thousands of jobs.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the sector and I would like to say a huge congratulations to all the winners and finalists.”

The winners of 14 categories progress to represent Staffordshire at the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, to be held in June 2022.

Category sponsors at the 2022 Enjoy Staffordshire Tourism & Good Food Awards were RH Advertising, Staffordshire Business & Environment Network, Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce and Insight6. Accessible & Inclusive Tourism Award: Alton Towers Resort – Gold, The Trentham Estate – Silver. Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-on-Trent –Bronze. B&B and Guest House of the Year: The Little George, Eccleshall – Gold, Amber House, Alrewas – Silver. Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year: Three Horseshoes Country Inn, Leek – Gold, The Waterfront, Barton Marina – Silver, Amore Italian, Newcastle-under-Lyme – Bronze, Pom’s Kitchen & Deli, Lichfeld – Highly Commended (HC), The Crepe & Wafe House, Trentham Shopping Village – HC. Ethical, Responsible & Sustainable Tourism Award: Alton Towers Resort –Gold, Ramblers Retreat Country Tea Room, Alton – Silver, Bella’s Cofee House & Community Café, Hednesford – Bronze, Black Lion Inn, Butterton – HC, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-on-Trent – HC. Experience of the Year: Moddershall Oaks Country Spa Retreat – Gold, Breakfast with the Monkeys, Trentham Monkey Forest – Silver, Walk with the Animals, Peak Wildlife Park, near Leek – Bronze, Middleport on the Move: Virtual Factory Tour, Middleport Pottery, Stoke-on-Trent – HC, Perrys Field to Fork Artisan Butchery & Cookery School, Eccleshall – HC. Farm Shop and Food & Drink Retailer of the Year: Denstone Hall Farm Shop – Gold, Perrys of Eccleshall – Silver, Nelson’s Distiller – Bronze, Gelato & Cakes, Cheadle – HC. Hotel of the Year: CBeebies Land Hotel at Alton Towers Resort – Gold, The Moat House at Acton Trussell – Silver, Double Tree by Hilton Stoke-onTrent – Bronze. Independent Restaurant of the Year: No26 at Aston Marina, Stone – Gold, The Viceroy Restaurant, Staford – Silver, London House Indian Restaurant, Eccleshall – Bronze. Large Visitor Attraction of the Year: The Trentham Estate – Gold, Alton Towers Resort – Silver, National Memorial Arboretum – Bronze, Trentham Monkey Forest – HC, Peak Wildlife Park – HC. New Tourism Business of the Year: Play@ Lower Drayton Farm – Gold, Mayfeld Snuggery– Silver, Bella’s Cofee House & Community Café, Hednesford – Bronze, Double Tree by Hilton Stoke-on-Trent – HC, Perrys Field to Fork Artisan Butchery & Cookery School, Eccleshall – HC. Pub of the Year: The Meynell Ingram Arms, Hoar Cross – Gold, The Tamworth Tap – Silver, Black Lion Inn, Butterton – Bronze, The Red Lion, Newborough – HC, The Little George, Eccleshall – HC. Resilience & Innovation Award: The Trentham Estate – Gold, Alton Towers Resort – Silver, Reform Heritage: Middleport Pottery – Bronze, Ramblers Retreat Country Tea Room – HC, National Memorial Arboretum – HC. Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year: Mayfeld Snuggery – Gold, Betley Court Farm Holiday Cottages – Silver, Dalraddy Cottage, Penkridge – Bronze. Small Visitor Attraction of the Year: Foxfeld Railway, Blythe Bridge –Gold, Dorothy Clive Garden, Willoughbridge near Newcastle-under-Lyme – Silver, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-on-Trent – Bronze. Tea Room & Coffee Shop of the Year: Ramblers Retreat Country Tea Room, Alton – Gold, Denstone Hall Farm Shop & Café – Silver, Bella’s Cofee House & Community Café, Hednesford – Bronze, Cup a Cha Tea Room, Staford – HC. Unsung Hero Award: Melissa Lewis, The Trentham Estate – Gold, Andy Newcastle Life Issue 34 21McGee, The Little George – Silver, Katie Dawson, Denstone Hall Farm Shop & Café – Bronze.