Suffolk Gold – The Bildeston Crown wins the Taste of England category in The Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2010
23 April 2010
It was second time lucky for Suffolk inn, The Bildeston Crown, Gold winners of the Taste of England category in VisitEngland’s The Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2010; last year the team took Silver in the hotel category. But this year, at the black tie event held, as is now tradition on St George’s Day, management couple Chris and Hayley Lee and owners James Buckle and his mother Gill, were delighted to be presented with the VisitEngland Gold award.
The Bildeston Crown was one of 46 national finalists selected from over 100 regional winners submitted by regional tourist boards. The Bildeston Crown was the only representative for Suffolk and was put forward as a result of winning the East of England heats. All finalists were rigorously assessed by independent assessors and a team of judges to make it through to the national final. This year’s awards ceremony was held in the Corn Exchange at The Brighton Dome on 23 April.
James continues: “It seems appropriate that last year we were all about being a “hotel” and providing excellence in terms of accommodation and service. This year it is all about our great tasting food. The fact that we have been finalists for both categories in such quick succession is a credit to the hard work of Hayley and Chris Lee and their achievement in making both sides of the business such a notable success.”
Chef Chris Lee also recognises that having a boss that is a farmer has many benefits: “ Having won Silver in 2009 for “hotel”, we thought long and hard about whether we should enter again but as food is the very heart of what The Bildeston Crown stands for, we could not resist going for the “Taste of England” award. After all how many hotels or restaurants can truly say that have their very own farm just down the road, providing the very best lamb and fantastic Suffolk red poll beef? Now that is truly using local food and a celebration of what is the Taste of England!”
Chris continues: “I love my job and it is fantastic that what we are doing at The Bildeston Crown, in terms of the food we are producing and the continued investment in the hotel itself, is being recognised. Suffolk food is the best and so The Bildeston Crown is extremely proud to bring the Taste of England Award to the county”
Follow this link to see the enjoyEngland website details: http://www.enjoyengland.com/corporate/corporate-information/excellence-awards/taste-of-england-award-2010.aspx
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The Bildeston Crown goes for Tourism Gold for the second year running
25 February 2010
VisitEngland announced the short list for The Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2010 this week (see press release below) and The Bildeston Crown is once again delighted to be a finalist. Last year the Suffolk inn picked up a Silver in the hotel category but this year sets its sights on gold for “Taste of England”.
The Bildeston Crown is one of 46 national finalists to be selected from over 100 regional winners and is the only representative for Suffolk. There is only one other finalist from the Eastern region- BeWILDerwood, Hoveton, Norfolk shortlisted for the large visitor attraction. In addition, The Bildeston Crown is the only finalist to be able to claim that it was also in the line-up for last year, albeit different categories
The Bildeston Crown Chef Chris Lee is delighted that once again the twelve bedroom hotel and three AA rosettes restaurant is being recognised as a tourism leading light:
“Silver in 2009 for “hotel” and the journey there via the Suffolk and Eastern region awards was just amazing. We thought long and hard about whether we should enter again but as food is the very heart of what The Bildeston Crown stands for, we could not resist going for the “Taste of England” award. After all how many hotels or restaurants can truly say that have their very own farm just down the road providing the very best lamb and fantastic red poll beef. Now that is using local food and celebrating the Taste of England!”
Owner, farmer and businessman, James Buckle is equally jubilant: “We are absolutely thrilled to be on our way to Brighton for yet another annual St Georges Day awards ceremony. It seems appropriate that last year we were about being a “hotel” and providing excellence in terms of accommodation and service. This year it is all about our great tasting food. The fact that we have been finalists for both categories in such quick succession is a credit to the hard work of Hayley and Chris Lee and their achievement in making both sides of the business such a notable success.”
The Bildeston Crown will learn whether it is a Gold or Silver this year at the award ceremony in Brighton on the 23rd April.
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THE ‘BEST OF ENGLISH’ ARE SET TO BATTLE IT OUT
AT THE 2010 TOURISM AWARDS
VisitEngland announces short list for The Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2010
New “Where Else but England” award celebrates eccentricity
Some of the best tourism businesses in England have been unveiled today as finalists in the 2010 Enjoy England Awards for Excellence, sponsored by The Caravan Club. The classic, quirky and often ‘off the beaten-track’ 2010 finalists include a secluded touring holiday park set in 12 acres of lush countryside in Cornwall, an eccentric farming museum in the West Country, an unusual safari lodge in Kent and Blackpool illuminations. www.enjoyengland.com/excellence
The quality of green tourism businesses is also on the up this year as it was revealed that the sustainable tourism award category has become one of the most popular categories for entrants. Contenders include an eco restaurant, delicatessen and cookery school offering local organic food and fine dining in Bristol, a four-star spa hotel on the Yorkshire coast and a family, working stone farm cottage set in a country garden near Holy Island in Northumberland.
This year an extra award has been launched to celebrate those events or experiences that are truly unique to England; The “Where Else but England” award (twitter @wherebutengland) *. Open to the public, regional voting is being undertaken now and entrants could include crowd pleasers such as gravy wrestling in Lancashire through to asparagus fortune telling in Evesham. Organisers are calling for people to vote at a regional and national level from now until April.
All 46 national finalists announced today were selected from over 100 regional winners submitted by regional tourist boards and were rigorously assessed by independent assessors and a team of judges to make it through to the national final. All the winners will be unveiled at a glittering awards ceremony held in the Corn Exchange at The Brighton Dome on 23 April in celebration of St George’s Day.
Other finalists span a large range of attractions, accommodation, tourism experiences, websites and tourist information centres from historical gems such as the authentic Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham and Ripley Castle in Yorkshire, to high-profile attractions such as the Imperial War Museum North in Manchester. A dramatic country family home with its own Victorian outdoor theatre, 200 year old converted self-catering cottages in the Peak District and an affordable boutique B&B in Lancaster are also in the line up for the awards, as are a number of committed and charismatic individuals who have been recognised for their outstanding service and contribution to English tourism
VisitEngland chairman Lady Cobham and chair of the judging panel said: “Our tourism awards really showcase the wealth of high quality and affordable holiday experiences on offer in England today. The judges were impressed with the huge, continued investment made by tourism businesses across all categories in spite of the recession. These finalists demonstrate how successful that commitment to quality has been. “
The finalists were selected by a board of tourism industry judges including the Gold winner of the hotel category in 2009, Sue Williams, and travel journalists Alison Rice and Sally Shalam. Also on the judging panel was Brian Richardson, executive secretary of The Caravan Club who said: “Once again, The Caravan Club is delighted to support these prestigious awards which recognise excellence across the whole spectrum of English tourism. Each year we are faced with an ever-tougher challenger as standards continue to improve and we feel that the results reflect the very best that England has to offer. The Caravan Club is itself a major player in the domestic tourism economy and has always been synonymous with quality, so I am thrilled to have the opportunity to recognise and reward quality businesses.”
