The glitterati of Cornwall’s tourism industry gathered for the annual Tourism Awards where surprise guest Rory McGrath handed out awards to the 2015 best from restaurants and pubs to businesses boasting eco-credentials and accessibility.
Special awards went to Pat Smith from Bosinver Farm Cottages for her outstanding contribution to Cornish tourism and Unsung Hero to Geoffrey Pearce of The Godolphin Arms, Marazion.
Malcolm Bell, Chief Executive of Visit Cornwall, said: “What an incredible achievement for so many deserving tourism businesses. To win a Cornwall Tourism Award takes dedication, hard-work and a 360 degree commitment to excellence across the business. Each and every one of the winning businesses should be proud of their trophies and the vital part they play in Cornwall’s success as a leading visitor destination. It is thanks to businesses such as those recognised by the Cornwall Tourism Awards that Cornwall is synonymous with quality.”
Awards organizer Robin Barker of Services for Tourism adds: “Each year I am stunned by how tourism businesses continue to reinvent themselves and their visitor offering. This year is no exception and I offer huge congratulations to all the winners.”
The 24 award categories cover everything from B&Bs and holiday parks to pubs and activity providers, and for the first year include a new spa and wellbeing category, one for tourism events and another for business and wedding venues. Other Gold winners on the night were Padstow Seafood School, Pebble House B&B, Whalesborough Cottages and The Olde House. Amongst the Attractions, the Screech Owl Sanctuary and Eden Project took Golds, whilst in food and drink categories the top awards went to The Waymarker, The Ship Inn and Trewithen Restaurant.
The winner of winners was Mother Ivey’s Bay Holiday Park in Padstow.
cornwalltourismawards.org.uk
SMALL HOTEL OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Francis Clark
Gold: Hell Bay Hotel, Isles of Scilly hellbay.co.uk
Silver: Talland Bay Hotel, Looe tallandbayhotel.co.uk
Bronze: The Alverton Hotel, Truro thealverton.co.uk
Commended: The Godolphin Arms, Marazion godolphinarms.co.uk
SELF CATERING
Sponsored by Quality in Tourism
Gold: Treworgey Cottages, Liskeard cornishdreamcottages.co.uk
Silver: Glynn Barton Cottages, Bodmin glynnbarton.co.uk
Bronze: Boscrowan Farm, Penzance boscrowan.co.uk
Bronze: Roundhouse Barn Holidays, St Just in Roseland roundhousebarnholidays.co.uk
Commended: The Sea Garden Cottages, Isles of Scilly tresco.co.uk/staying-on-tresco/sea-garden-cottages
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Holiday Cornwall
Gold: Trewithen Restaurant, Lostwithiel trewithenrestaurant.com
Silver: The Dining Room restaurant, Rock thediningroomrock.co.uk
Bronze: Paul Ainsworth at Number 6, Padstow number6inpadstow.co.uk
SPA & WELLBEING EXPERIENCE
Sponsored by Brewer and Bunney
Gold: The Headland Hotel & Spa, Newquay headlandhotel.co.uk
Silver: The Scarlet Spa, Mawgan Porth scarlethotel.co.uk
Bronze: Tresco Leisure Spa, Isles of Scilly tresco.co.uk
OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO CORNISH TOURISM
Sponsored by Visit Cornwall
Pat Smith of Bosinver Farm Cottages bosinver.com
LARGE HOTEL OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Hotel Perfect
Gold: Carbis Bay Hotel & Estate, St Ives carbisbayhotel.co.uk
Silver: The Greenbank Hotel, Falmouth greenbank-hotel.co.uk
PUB OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by SBC property
Gold: The Ship Inn, Wadebridge shipinnwadebridge.com
Silver: The Rising Sun, Truro risingsuntruro.co.uk
Bronze: The Pandora Inn, Falmouth pandorainn.com
SMALL ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Seymac Distribution
Gold: Screech Owl Sanctuary, St Columb screechowlsanctuary.co.uk
Silver: Wheal Martyn, St Austell wheal-martyn.com
Bronze: Penlee House Gallery & Museum, Penzance penleehouse.org.uk
Commended: Trewidden Garden, Penzance trewiddengarden.co.uk
VENUE & BUSINESS TOURISM
Sponsored by Christie & Co
Gold: The Headland Hotel & Spa, Newquay headlandhotel.co.uk
Silver: Carbis Bay Hotel & Estate, St Ives carbisbayhotel.co.uk
Bronze: Polhawn Fort, Torpoint polhawnfort.com
WILDLIFE FRIENDLY BUSINESS AWARD
Sponsored by Cornwall Environmental Consultants
Gold: Railholiday Ltd, Saltash railholiday.co.uk
Silver: Perran Sands Holiday Park, Perranporth haven.com/perransands
Bronze: Forest Holidays – Deerpark, Liskeard forestholidays.co.uk/south-west-england/deerpark-holidays
Bronze Wild Futures Monkey Sanctuary, Looe monkeysanctuary.org
Commended: Trevella Park, Newquay trevella.co.uk
LARGE ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Triodos Bank
Gold: Eden Project, Bodelva edenproject.com
Silver: Trebah Garden, Falmouth trebah-garden.co.uk
Bronze: National Maritime Museum Cornwall, Falmouth nmmc.co.uk
INTERNATIONAL VISITOR EXPERIENCE
Sponsored by Great Western Railway
Gold: St Michael’s Mount, Marazion stmichaelsmount.co.uk
Silver: Trebah Garden, Falmouth trebah-garden.co.uk
HOLIDAY RESORTS & LARGE SELF CATERING
Sponsored by Wolf Rock
Gold: The Olde House, Wadebridge theoldehouse.co.uk
Silver: Whalesborough Cottages, Bude whalesborough.co.uk
Bronze: Piran Meadows, White Cross piranmeadows.co.uk
UNSUNG HERO AWARD FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE
Sponsored by South West Water Business Services
Geoffrey Pearce of The Godolphin Arms, Marazion godolphinarms.co.uk
ACCESS & INCLUSIVITY
Sponsored by Purple Cloud Consultancy www.purplecloudconsultancy.co.uk
Gold: Mother Ivey’s Bay Holiday Park, Padstow, www.motheriveysbay.com
Silver: National Maritime Museum Cornwall, Falmouth, www.nmmc.co.uk
TOURIST INFORMATION SERVICE
Sponsored by MiHi
Gold: Bodmin Visitor Information Centre, Bodmin bodminlive.com
Silver: Launceston Tourist Information Centre visitlaunceston.co.uk
ACTIVE & SPORTING EXPERIENCE
Sponsored by Sue Bradbury PR
Gold: Newquay Activity Centre, Newquay newquayactivitycentre.co.uk
Silver: Ticket To Ride Surf School, Newquay tickettoridesurfschool.co.uk
Bronze: Adventure Segway, Mt Edgcumbe adventuresegway.com
Commended: Stithians Lake Outdoor & Active, Redruth outdoorandactive.uk.com
CAFÉ & TEAROOM OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Expowest Cornwall
Gold: The Waymarker, Falmouth thewaymarker.co.uk
Silver: Boscastle Farm Shop & Café boscastlefarmshop.co.uk
Bronze: Picnic Cornwall Ltd, Falmouth picniccornwall.co.uk
Bronze: Trengwainton Tearooms, Penzance trengwaintontearooms.com
HOLIDAY PARK & VILLAGE
Sponsored by Stephens Scown solicitors
Gold: Mother Ivey’s Bay Holiday Park, Padstow motheriveysbay.com
Silver: Trevella Park, Newquay trevella.co.uk
Bronze: Perran Sands Holiday Park, Perranporth haven.com/perransands
TOURISM EVENT OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Nixon
Gold: Padstow Christmas Festival, Padstow padstowchristmasfestival.co.uk
Silver: The Great Cornish Food Festival, Truro greatcornishfood.co.uk
Bronze: Looe Music Festival, Looe looemusic.co.uk
B&B, GUEST ACCOMMODATION & INN OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Nicholson’s
Gold: Pebble House, Mevagissey pebblehousecornwall.co.uk
Silver: The Seafood Restaurant, Padstow rickstein.com
Bronze: Roundhouse Barn Holidays, St Just in Roseland roundhousebarnholidays.co.uk
Bronze: Trevose Harbour House, St Ives trevosehouse.co.uk
ARTISTIC, CULTURAL & LEARNING EXPERIENCE
Sponsored by The Samphire Club
Gold: Padstow Seafood School, Padstow rickstein.com
Silver: St Ives School of Painting schoolofpainting.co.uk
Bronze: Penlee House Gallery & Museum Penzance penleehouse.org.uk
CAMPING & CARAVANNING PARK
Sponsored by Cornwall Association of Tourist Attractions
Gold: Padstow Touring Park padstowtouringpark.co.uk
Silver: Wooda Farm Holiday Park, Bude wooda.co.uk
Bronze: Trevornick Holiday Park, Holywell Bay trevornick.co.uk
DOG FRIENDLY ACCOMMODATION
Sponsored by Jo Downs Glass Design
Gold: Whalesborough Cottages, Bude whalesborough.co.uk
Silver: Mother Ivey’s Bay Holiday Park, Padstow motheriveysbay.com
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
Sponsored by Skinner’s Brewery
Gold: Railholiday Ltd, Saltash railholiday.co.uk
Silver: Eden Project, Bodelva edenproject.com
Bronze: The Pandora Inn, Falmouth pandorainn.com
Commended: Bedknobs, Bodmin bedknobs.co.uk
Roundhouse Barn Holidays, St Just in Roseland roundhousebarnholidays.co.uk
WINNER OF WINNERS
Sponsored by St Austell Brewery
Mother Ivey’s Bay Holiday Park, Padstowmotheriveysbay.com