Cheshire’s best tourism attractions rewarded

The Chester Grosvenor Hotel, Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre and Chester Zoo were among the winners at the Marketing Cheshire Awards for the tourism industry.

The annual awards recognise outstanding work by all sectors of the tourism and hospitality industry and were held at the new West Cheshire College Creative & Services Campus.

Chester Zoo won Large Visitor Attraction of the Year and Best Tourism Event of the Year for the Dinosaurs at Large! exhibition.

Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre won Small Visitor Attraction of the Year and Roman Tours Ltd picked up the award for Best Tourism Experience of the Year.

Large Hotel of the Year went to the Chester Grosvenor with The Green Bough Hotel and Olive Tree Restaurant securing Small Hotel of the Year.

Peckforton Castle won two awards: Excellence in Business Tourism and a Special Recognition award for Daniel Naylor, Paul Healey and Simon Oxley who helped guests to safety during the recent fire.

Bed and Breakfast of the Year went to Churton Heath Farm B&B whilst Self-Catering Holiday Provider of the Year went to Mellow Brook Cottage at Harrop Fold Farm.

Kerridge End Holiday Cottages secured the Sustainable Tourism Award for its luxurious self catering cottages near Macclesfield and Holiday Park of the Year was awarded to Manor Wood Country Caravan Park. Roses Tea Room, at Ness Botanic Gardens won the Taste of Cheshire Award.

Finally, Leanne Shaw from the Park Royal Hotel won the new Rising Star Award which recognises individuals who have made a difference to their businesses.

Chris Brown, chief executive of Marketing Cheshire, said: "With a visitor economy valued at £1.78bn and supporting over 27,000 jobs, the evening was a fantastic way to give the industry and individual businesses the recognition they deserve. Moving forward winners will go straight through to compete at England level and potentially be the best in the whole country."

Barbara Smith, managing director of Chester Zoo, said: "These awards are the icing on the cake following a truly exceptional year at the Zoo. In October we achieved an all-time high with over 38,500 members and record visitor figures. These awards are the perfect way to end the year and clearly demonstrate the quality of our attraction and people who bring it to life."

Sue Stevenson, owner of Mellow Brook Cottage at Harrop Fold Farm and winner of Self-Catering Holiday Provider of the Year, said: "We are thrilled to win this prestigious award for our newly refurbished five star cottage. We have spent months lovingly restoring the 17^th century barn and this award is a real boost to our staff and customers."