Release Date: Monday July 2, 2012

Yorkshire’s finest compete for top awards

Welcome to Yorkshire has revealed which tourism stars are set to shine at the highly coveted White Rose Awards 2012.

The hotly anticipatedlist of finalists boasts 89 of Yorkshire’s best attractions, hotels, venues and individuals from the tourism industry.

The list covers 15 categories and the winners will be announced at a glittering black-tie awards ceremony on October 1 at the Centenary Pavilion, Elland Road, Leeds.

Last year’s glamorous ceremony attracted a sell-out of 1,000 guests, making it the biggest tourism awards in the UK.

Independent Chair of Judges, Professor Colin Mellors, said:“It is always a pleasure to see so many quality submissions and the standard meant the judges had a very difficult task in deciding who should go through as a finalist. Yorkshire has such an abundance of tourism gems, and those who made the finalist list should be incredibly proud of themselves.”

Professor Mellorsis joined on the independent panel of judges by Andrew Ford (The AA Area Manager and Senior Hotel & Restaurant Inspector), Brian Handley (GM of Harvey Nichols Leeds), food writer Elaine Lemm, and Peter Charlton, (Editor of The Yorkshire Post).

Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “With a record number of entries and outstanding applications, this year’s awards promise to be spectacular. The standard of finalists shows the high calibre of tourism businesses we have in Yorkshire – and shows that we can not only compete nationally, but internationally. This is especially important during challenging economic times, but Yorkshire is leading the way.”

Tickets go on sale from July 2 for the major event in the tourism calendar and can be purchased at or by r call 0113 322 3508.

The full list of finalists are:

WRA Category / Finalist
Small Visitor Attraction / Burton Agnes Hall, Driffield, East Yorkshire
Small Visitor Attraction / Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Whitby
Small Visitor Attraction / How Stean Gorge, Harrogate
Small Visitor Attraction / The Ice Factor, York
Small Visitor Attraction / Workhouse Museum and Garden, Ripon
Small Visitor Attraction / Stillingfleet Lodge Gardens & Nurseries,York
Large Visitor Attraction / Cannon Hall Farm, Barnsley
Large Visitor Attraction / York Racecourse, York
Large Visitor Attraction / Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield
Large Visitor Attraction / Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Doncaster
Large Visitor Attraction / Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal, Ripon
Large Visitor Attraction / Cannon Hall Museum, Barnsley
Taste of Yorkshire / Drewton's Limited, Nr Brough, East Yorkshire
Taste of Yorkshire / Williams Farm Kitchen Ltd, Hornsea
Taste of Yorkshire / Hinchliffe's Farm Shop, Huddersfield
Taste of Yorkshire / The Cooking School @ Dean Clough, Halifax
Taste of Yorkshire / Keelham Farm Shop, Bradford
Taste of Yorkshire / The Wensleydale Creamery, Hawes
Self-Catering / Estate Escapes, East Yorkshire
Self-Catering / High Barn Cottages, Bridlington
Self-Catering / Old Oak Cottages, Thirsk
Self-Catering / Thief Hole Cottages, Northallerton
Self-Catering / The Dovecote Barns, York
Self-Catering / The Sands Seafront Apartments, Scarborough
Pub / The Star @ Sancton, East Yorkshire
Pub / The Oak Tree Inn, Helperby, EY
Pub / The Golden Fleece, York
Pub / The Star Inn, Harome
Pub / The Shibden Mill Inn, Halifax
Pub / The Anvil Inn, Scarborough
Restaurant / The Star @ Sancton, East Yorkshire
Restaurant / El Piano, York
Restaurant / Yorebridge House, Bainbridge, North Yorkshire
Restaurant / Salvo's, Leeds
Restaurant / Artisan, Sheffield
Restaurant / van Zeller, Harrogate
Restaurant / Samuel's at Swinton Park, Ripon
Tourism Event / Beverley Festival of Christmas, Beverley
Tourism Event / 27th Annual JORVIK Viking Festival, York
Tourism Event / Yorkshire Air Museum & Allied Air Forces Memorial, York
Tourism Event / Halloween at York Maze, York
Tourism Event / The Christmas Adventure at Stockeld, Wetherby
Tourism Event / Festival of Light, Huddersfield
Caravan & Camping Park / Studfold Caravan & Camping park, Harrogate
Caravan & Camping Park / Faweather Grange Holiday Lodges, High Eldwick
Caravan & Camping Park / Burton Constable Holiday Park, East Yorkshire
Caravan & Camping Park / Jollydays Luxury Camping, North Yorks
Caravan & Camping Park / Robin Hood Caravan Park, North Yorks
Caravan & Camping Park / Jasmine Park, Scarborough
Bed & Breakfast / Newbegin House, Beverley
Bed & Breakfast / The Wold Cottage, Driffield, East Yorkshire
Bed & Breakfast / Throapham House, Sheffield
Bed & Breakfast / Bishops, York
Bed & Breakfast / Moorlands Country House, Pickering
Bed & Breakfast / Goldsborough Hall, Knaresborough
Large Hotel / Leopold Hotel, Sheffield
Large Hotel / Malmaison, Leeds
Large Hotel / The Coniston Hotel & Country Estate, Skipton
Large Hotel / Cedar Court Grand Hotel & Spa, York
Large Hotel / The Black Swan Hotel, Helmsley
Smal Hotel / Middlethorpe Hall & Spa,York
Small Hotel / The Pheasant Hotel, Harome
Small Hotel / Holdsworth House Hotel & Restaurant, Halifax
Small Hotel / The Devonshire Arms Country House Hotel & Spa, Skipton
Small Hotel / Yorebridge House, Bainbridge, North Yorkshire
Small Hotel / The Cliffemount Hotel, Whitby
Business Tourism / The Spa Bridlington, Bridlington
Business Tourism / The Royal York Hotel & Events Centre, York
Business Tourism / York Marriott, York
Business Tourism / The Spa Scarborough, Scarborough
Business Tourism / Raven Hall Country House Hotel & Lodges, Scarborough
Outstanding Customer Service / Shirley Fletcher (Hilton York), York
Outstanding Customer Service / YorkBoat, York
Outstanding Customer Service / Les Clarke (Pickering & Malton TICs)
Outstanding Customer Service / Robin Hood Caravan Park, North Yorks
Outstanding Customer Service / Jitendra Chauhan (Jeet) Royal York Hotel, York
Outstanding Customer Service / The York Maze Team, York
Visitor Information / Pickering Tourist Information Centre
Visitor Information / The Moors National Park Centre, Danby TIC
Visitor Information / Leeds Visitor Centre
Visitor Information / Humber Bridge Tourist Information Centre
Visitor Information / Wakefield Tourist Information Centre
Visitor Information / Harrogate Tourist Information Centre
Arts & Culture / Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
Arts & Culture / Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield
Arts & Culture / Northern Ballet, Leeds
Arts & Culture / The Hepworth, Wakefield
Arts & Culture / The Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate
Arts & Culture / Ferens Art Gallery - David Hockney: Bigger Trees, Hull

- ENDS -

Editors’ Notes:

  • Welcome to Yorkshire is the official destination management organisation for Yorkshire, working to grow the county’s visitor economy.
  • Welcome to Yorkshire is a not-for-profit membership organisation, funded in part by grants, sponsorship and Welcome to Yorkshire members. All money raised is reinvested directly back into promoting Yorkshire.
  • Key facts include:
  • Tourism in Yorkshire is worth £7 billion annually
  • The county’s industry employs almost a quarter of a million people
  • There are 216 million visits to Yorkshire each year

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For further information contact:

Graham Poucher - Press Officer

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Direct Line: 0113 322 3578

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Andy Denton – Press Officer

Email:

Direct Line: 0113 322 3537

Mobile: 07769 257383