Kedleston Hall, which provides the stunning Georgian backdrop to Saul Dibb’s
blockbuster movie The Duchess, was one of five Derbyshire businesses to win gold at the 2008 East Midlands
Tourism Enjoy England Excellence Awards, held at East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham on Wednesday 8th October
2008.
The awards, organised by East Midlands Tourism, cover all areas of the visitor
economy and are open to businesses across the East Midlands. They are designed
to recognise excellence and reward those businesses that go the extra mile in
providing a first class experience to visitors.
Kedleston Hall along with East Lodge Hotel and Restaurant, Croft View Cottage,
Buxton Festival and Chesterfield Tourism Information Service were presented with
their awards by TV personality Dominic Littlewood. Thirteen other businesses across
Derbyshire also won silver and bronze awards.
Alix Crosbie from Kedleston Hall said, “We are thrilled about winning gold in the Large Visitor Attraction category.
This has been an amazing year for us. The filming of The Duchess has attracted
a lot of attention for Kedleston Hall and this award is the icing on the cake!
We have been striving to maintain consistently high standards for an unprecedented
number of visitors this year and it is wonderful to have our efforts recognised.”
Buxton Festival received the gold award in the Best Tourism Experience category
and the Think Family award went to Croft View Cottages for its ongoing commitment
to providing a fantastic visitor experience for the whole family.
Naomi Carmichael of Croft View Cottage in Foolow, Eyam added, “We are over the moon about our ‘Think Family’ gold award. This is a really important
market for us and it is great to be recognised for our family friendly approach.
We are always thinking of new and innovative ways to ensure the whole family feels
welcome. We put a lot of effort into providing activities that both children and
parents can get involved in. We believe that it is the small touches that make
a difference to our guests stay.”
With its hands-on approach to hotel management and its superb selection of high
quality foods, East Lodge Hotel and Restaurant won the Small Hotel award and Chesterfield
TIC won the Tourist Information Service award for consistently delivering a professional
and helpful service to visitors.
Ruth Hyde, Tourism Director of East Midlands Development Agency
said,
“This year we saw a twenty five percent increase in applications making the competition
tougher than ever so congratulations all of the Derbyshire winners. They should
be proud of their achievement as they have shown they are prepared to go the extra
mile to ensure visitors have an exceptional experience."
"Businesses need to listen to their visitors and be ready to adapt to changing
demands, and this year’s winners have shown they are really taking this on board.
Consumers have never demanded such high quality and value for money so it’s critical
that the region’s tourism businesses continually strive for excellence.”
Over 300 people gathered for the celebrations at East Midlands Conference Centre
in Nottingham. Many of the regional winners will now go forward to the national
final next April, where they will compete against other regional winners from
across England for the chance to be crowned ‘England’s Best’.
The Enjoy England Excellence Awards celebrate the best of English tourism. The
Awards are known throughout the industry as the ‘Oscars’ of tourism. They promote
healthy industry competition and high standards, helping to ensure England's place
as a world-class destination. The East Midlands Tourism Enjoy England Excellence
Awards 2009 will be officially launched in April. To register your interest now,
email
georgina.heathcote@visitpeakdistrict.com
East Midlands Tourism Enjoy England Excellence Awards 2008 Winners:
Best Large Visitor Attraction
Gold Award: Kedleston Hall, Derby
Silver Award: Bolsover Castle, Bolsover
Bronze Award: Crich Tramway Museum, Crich
Best Tourism Experience
Gold Award: Buxton Festival, Buxton
Bronze Award: Cocoadance, Castleton
Tourist Information Service
Gold Award: Chesterfield Tourist Information Centre, Chesterfield
Silver Award: Castleton Visitor Centre, Castleton
Think Family
Gold Award: Croft View Cottage, Eyam
Small Hotel
Gold Award: East Lodge Hotel & Restaurant
Self Catering Holiday
Silver Award: Hoe Grange Holidays, Brassington
Sustainable Tourism
Silver Award: Buxton Hilbre B&B, Buxton
Best Pub Experience
Silver Award: The Bulls Head, Repton
Bronze Award: The Devonshire Arms, Beeley
Taste of England
Bronze Award: Masa Restaurant & Wine Bar, Derby
Guest Accommodation
Silver Award: Dannah Farm Country House, Shottle
Bronze Award: Grendon Guest House, Buxton
Access For All
Bronze Award: Hoe Grange Holidays, Brassington
Tourism Website
Bronze Award: Hoe Grange Holidays, Brassington
