Winners announced in this year’s Tourism Awards

The 2008/09 Lancashire and Blackpool Tourism Awards `cooked up` a sprinkling of first time winners mixed with past winners during a ceremony where Lancashire’s food and drink year, Taste Lancashire 08, was duly marked.

A cooking demonstration from celebrity chefs The Hairy Bikers and an acknowledgment of Northcote Manor chef Nigel Haworth’s appearance in the final of BBC TV’s Great British Menu were served up alongside the handing out of 13 winners trophies and nine highly commended/runner up placings at Blackburn Rovers Football Club today (Wednesday June 18).

Awards presenter Ted Robbins, a presenter on BBC Radio Lancashire, handed out glass trophies and certificates to the successful businesses. Ted stepped in late on to replace BBC North West Tonight’s Ranvir Singh who unfortunately had to withdraw the day before the ceremony through illness.

The winners and highly commended were:

Bed and Breakfast/Guest Accommodation of the Year

(Sponsored by Taste Lancashire)

Winner – Number One, South Beach, Blackpool

Highly Commended – Little Stubbins Bed & Breakfast, Claughton-on-Brock

Highly Commended – Whitestake Farm Bed & Breakfast, Nr Preston

Small Hotel of the Year (Sponsored by Lancashire County Developments Ltd)

Winner – The Shireburn Arms Hotel, Hurst Green   

Large Hotel of the Year (Sponsored by Black + White Communications)

Winner – Big Blue Hotel, Blackpool   

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year (Sponsored by Welcome to Excellence)

Winner – Farmer Ted’s Farm Park, Ormskirk   

Highly Commended – Williamson Park, Lancaster

Large Visitor Attraction of the Year (Sponsored by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan))

Winner – Sandcastle Waterpark, Blackpool

Caravan Holiday Park of the Year (Sponsored by VisitBlackpool)

Winner – Newton Hall Holiday Park, Blackpool

Highly Commended – Eastham Hall Caravan Park, Lytham St Annes

Self Catering Holiday of the Year (Sponsored by the Northwest Regional Development Agency)

Winner – The Beach House, Blackpool

Highly Commended – Wolfen Mill Country Retreats, Chipping

Tourism Website of the Year (Sponsored by New Mind Internet Consultancy)

Winner – Ribby Hall Village, Wrea Green www.ribbyhall.co.uk

Taste Lancashire 08 Award (Sponsored by Made in Lancashire)

Winner – Northcote Manor, Langho

Business Tourism Award of the Year (Sponsored by Lancashire Economic Partnership)

Winner – Barton Grange Hotel, Nr Preston

Sustainable Tourism Award (Sponsored by Fraser Eagle)

Winner – RSPB Leighton Moss Nature Reserve, Silverdale        

Highly Commended – Malkin Tower Farm Holiday Cottages, Blacko

Best Tourism Experience of the Year (Sponsored by Blackpool International Airport)

Winner – Downy Duckling Experience – WWT Martin Mere, Ormskirk

Highly Commended – Morecambe Bay Cross Bay Walks

Tourism Event of the Year (Supported by BBC Radio Lancashire)

This category was voted for by the public during May. Votes were cast on visitlancashire.com or by form. The public were choosing their favourite event from  2007.

First Place – Lancashire Food Festival, Accrington

Second Place – World Horse Welfare Penny Farm Open Days, Nr Blackpool

Third Place – Halloween at Farmer Ted’s Farm Park, Ormskirk

There was a special presentation made to Cedric Robinson in recognition of his contribution to tourism leading over 400,000 people on walks across Morecambe Bay as the Queen’s Guide to the Sands. He was appointed to this post nearly 45 years ago in October 1963.

Cedric was presented with a certificate entitled Tourism Ambassador, by Mike Wilkinson, chief executive of Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board.

Commenting on the ceremony Mike Wilkinson said:

“It was fitting to hold our fifth awards at Blackburn Rovers, Lancashire’s representative in football’s top league. Our entrants are equally premiership class and deserve their recognition today.

“As with a Premiership team they have needed to be result driven in order to survive, go for excellence and quality to really prosper and, rightly, celebrate success when it comes. All are to be congratulated for their achievement.”

The Awards are supported by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), and many of the winners will now go on to represent Lancashire and Blackpool at the England’s Northwest Tourism Awards later this year.

James Berresford, director of tourism at the (NWDA) said:

“I’d like to offer my congratulations to all of the winners today; they are a reflection of the hard work and commitment that is helping tourism to thrive in the Northwest. Quality is the key to success in this industry and these winners are helping to raise the benchmark. I hope their success will be an inspiration to others and I look forward to seeing them at the regional awards in October.”