The Gala Awards Night took place at Athena in Leicester on November 24th, 2022. See a list of winners below.
A winner was
awarded for each category, with the judges also awarding a small number of
Highly Commended and commended certificates in a few categories -
New Tourism Business of the Year
Winner, Wild Minds
Highly Commended, The Red Barn at Goadby Marwood
Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism
Winner, National Forest EBike Holidays
Highly Commended, Donington Park Farmhouse Hotel and Wedding Venue
Rising Star
Winner Shon Mendonza, Barceloneta
Special Commendation
Sylvia Wright, Charnwood Borough Council
Best Team
Winner, The Moira Furnace Museum Trust
Highly Commended, 1573 Bar & Grill
Commended, The Parmar Collection
Best Marketing Campaign
Winner, Discover Charnwood
Taste of England Award - Best Afternoon Tea
Winner, Winstanley House
Pub of the Year
Winner, The Stag and Hounds
Taste of England Award - Best Casual Dining Experience
Winner, 1573 Bar & Grill
Commended, The Rutland and Derby
Taste of England Award - Best Fine Dining Experience
Winner, Restaurant 263
Business Events Venue of the Year
Winner, Imago Venues
Camping, Glamping, Holiday Park and Self Catering Accommodation of the Year
Winner, Brook Meadow
Highly Commended, Ettie's Field
Small Serviced Accommodation Provider of the Year
Winner, Breedon Hall
Highly Commended, Winstanley House
Large Hotel of the Year
Winner, Novotel Leicester
Highly Commended, The Gresham
Best Free Event of the Year
Winner, Into the Outwoods Sculpture Trail
Best Event / Festival of the Year - with admission charge
Winner, The Victory Show
Highly Commended, Timber Festival
Experience of the Year
Winner, Everards of Leicestershire Brewery Tours
Highly Commended, Greenwood Days
Small Visitor Attraction of the Year
Winner, King Richard III Visitor Centre
Highly Commended, Windmill Farm Park
Highly Commended, Escape Coalville
Commended, Stonehurst Farm
Large Visitor Attraction of the Year
Winner, Bradgate Park
Tourism Superstar
Richard Everard OBE, DL
This year’s awards were sponsored by Pear Communications.
The Leicestershire Promotions Tourism and Hospitality Awards for 2023 will be launched at our Tourism Forum on 21 March 2023. It is free to enter the Awards.
The winners of some categories in the Leicestershire Promotions Tourism and Hospitality Awards will go forward to the National VisitEngland Awards for Excellence. Applications for these core categories must be submitted online by 31st August (except Best Small and Large Attraction category which must be submitted by 31st July, to give time for judges to visit during the summer). You can access the online application forms by following this link.
Applications for categories which don't go forward to the National Awards must also be submitted by 31st August using a paper application form available here. The list of categories and how to enter each one is listed below.
VE CORE CATEGORIES
B&B and Guest House of the Year
Small Hotel of the Year
Large Hotel of the Year
Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park of the Year
Self Catering Accommodation of the Year
Small Visitor Attraction of the Year
Large Visitor Attraction of the Year
Pub of the Year
Experience of the Year
New Tourism Business Award
Taste of England Award
Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award
Business Events Venue of the Year
Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable Tourism Award
Unsung Hero Award
LOCAL AWARDS - PAPER APPLICATIONS
Best Free Event of the Year
Best Event / Festival of the Year - Paid Entry
Best Entertainment Venue of the Year
Best Team
Rising Star
Best Waiting Staff/Individual
Best Breakfast
Best Sunday Lunch
Best Tearoom/Coffee Shop
Best Casual Dining Experience
Putting Leicestershire on the Map
Best Day Out in Leicestershire - Attraction / Experience
Leicestershire Superstar
Here's what Clare Hart of Brook Meadow has to say about being a winner of our local awards and silver winner at the national awards:
"I have really enjoyed entering the awards and found them
beneficial on many levels:
1) The process of entering enforces I analyse my business decisions and think forward with future plans. In turn this has helped me market every positive aspect of my business to the customer.
2) The support that follows post awards night has been brilliant, attending invaluable workshops and one to ones with more focused input.
3) The publicity has been great following a win. Notably much better with a win than 2nd place which helps bring out my competitive side.
4) Winning has been personally rewarding, the team and
family are proud to be part of an award winning business and team and loyal
customers enjoy seeing the success too as it’s affirmation they choose a good
place to go.
Linda Jee of Horseshoe Cottage Farm, winner of a local award last year and also silver winner at national level says:
"Over the past two decades we have entered various categories from B&B to Customer Service to Sustainable Tourism awards. To date we have been very successful and very grateful to the support from LPL and other previous winners.
The key to winning is believing in your business and answering the questions asked. I have found that by entering the awards I review what we are doing currently, what we shouldn't be doing and what we could do in the future. Businesses evolve over the years as do customers requirements/expectations.
I work with a small team and it could be very easy to get complacent and not progress the business but due to entering the awards every few years, this doesn't happen.
We have never been prouder this year when we were shortlisted for the B&B category for the Visit England National Awards....a trip to Birmingham in our posh togs was fantastic and to be awarded Silver was the icing on the cake! I am delighted to be second best....!"
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68 Wood Lane, Quorn,
Loughborough, Leicestershire
LE12 8DB
United Kingdom