The best tourism businesses in Leicestershire have been announced at a glittering awards ceremony held at Athena in Leicester on 30 November 2017.
There were 24 winners at the annual Leicestershire Promotions 2017 Tourism & Hospitality Awards including the prestigious Tourism Superstar award for the Deer Herd at Bradgate Park.
Great Places to Eat and Drink
Best Leicester Breakfast
WINNER: Horseshoe Cottage Farm
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Wistow Café Bistro
Outstanding Afternoon Tea
WINNER: The Café Next Door
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Ivy’s Vintage Tea Room
COMMENDED: Taste Restaurant at Leicester College
Best Local Food or Farm Shop
WINNER: Farndon Fields Farm
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Farm Shop at Manor Farm
Best Pub Experience
WINNER: The Real Ale Classroom
Best Casual Dining Experience
WINNER: Boboli
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Bom Bom Patisserie / PETER And That’s Enough
Best Formal Dining Experience
WINNER: John’s House
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Ascough’s
COMMENDED: Taste Restaurant at Leicester College
Proud of our People
Best Front of House Team
WINNER: 33 Cank Street
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Café Next Door / The Belmont Hotel
Student of the Year
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WINNER: Molly Thatcher, Leicester College
Best Team
WINNER: Imago – Holywell Park
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Fieldsport UK
COMMENDED: Fair Farm Hideaway
Best Website
WINNER: The City Rooms
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Leicester Conferences at the University of Leicester
COMMENDED: 33 Cank Street
Best Local Food and Drink Producer
WINNER: Charnwood Cider
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Belvoir Brewery
COMMENDED: Knead Good Bread
Inspiring Manager
WINNER: Yvonne Hyde, Best Western Premier Yew Lodge Hotel
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Craig Oldham, Eye Kettleby Lakes
Great Places to Stay
Most Enjoyable Stay – Self Catering
WINNER: Eye Kettleby Lakes
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Foxton Locks Cottages
Innovative Business Tourism Partner
WINNER: Imago
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Hothorpe Hall and The Woodlands / Leicester Conferences at the University of Leicester
Most Enjoyable Stay – Hotel
WINNER: The Belmont Hotel
HIGHLY COMMENDED: College Court
COMMENDED: Best Western Plus Ullesthorpe Court Hotel / The City Rooms
Most Enjoyable Stay – Guesthouse
WINNER: Horseshoe Cottage Farm
Fabulous Things to Do
Favourite Festival of Event (free entry)
WINNER: Bring the Paint
COMMENDED: RIDE Leicester
Favourite Festival or Event (paid entry)
WINNER: Nevill Holt Opera – Noye’s Fludde
HIGHLY COMMENDED: National Space Centre – Return of the Garrison
COMMENDED: Bosworth Medieval Festival
Best Garden or Landscape
WINNER: Bradgate Park
HIGHLY COMMENDED: University of Leicester Botanic Gardens
COMMENDED: Queens Park, Loughborough
Best Market Town
WINNER: Hinckley
HIGHLY COMMENDED: Loughborough
COMMENDED: Market Harborough / Melton Mowbray
Great Day Out (free entry)
WINNER: Foxton Locks
Great Day Out (small attraction)
WINNER: Stonehurst Farm
HIGHLY COMMENDED: 1620s House and Gardens at Donington le Heath
Great Day Out (large attraction)
WINNER: Conkers
HIGHLY COMMENDED: National Space Centre / King Richard III Visitor Centre
Tourism Superstar
WINNER: Deer Herd at Bradgate Park
Martin Peters, Chief Executive of Leicestershire Promotions said: “This year’s Tourism Awards were the grandest yet with 77 finalists contesting the categories. Competition was fierce and although we congratulate all of the winners, the standard was so high and every finalist can be proud of their achievements. We’re proud to work with so many fantastic tourism partners and individuals, throughout Leicestershire and beyond.
“This year, the Tourism Superstar accolade has gone to a truly unsung hero, or maybe heroes, in the form of the Deer Herd at Bradgate Park. They have created delight and proved an irresistible draw for literally millions of people over decades and decades. They continue to delight visitors today, as parents and grandparents bring their children along to meet them as they were brought along as children themselves,” continued Martin.
Everards of Leicestershire, Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council and leading UK provider of fully integrated eTourism solutions, NVG all sponsored individual award categories.
