We are delighted to announce that two Northumberland businesses have been recognised nationally as part of the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence which were held in a glittering ceremony at Brighton Dome Corn Exchange on 4th June, hosted by VisitEngland Advisory Board Chairman Lady Victoria Borwick.
Our Northumberland champions, Ad Gefrin, the Anglo Saxon museum and whisky distillery won GOLD for New Tourism Business of the Year and Battlesteads Hotel and Restaurant won BRONZE in the Ethical and Responsible category.
Our fellow North East finalists from the regional heats also took top spots in the awards ceremony.
Seaham Hall - SILVER - Small Hotel of the Year
Catlin Brown - Escape Key Entertainment - SILVER - Unsung Hero
Gateshead’s Glasshouse International Centre for Music - BRONZE- Business Events Venue of the Year
The prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence have been running for more than 30 years. This year’s winners were selected from hundreds of tourism businesses across England including hotels, self-catering accommodation, B&Bs, glamping operators, attractions, restaurants, pubs and museums, forwarded to the national competition via local and regional competitions across England.
VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said:
“These annual Awards are an opportunity to applaud and showcase the businesses and individuals who provide outstanding customer service and continuously improve their products and offer for visitors.
“From a captivating science museum in Merseyside to a fully accessible hotel in Bournemouth, from cow cuddling on a farm in Yorkshire to fine dining in Lancashire, this year’s winners show just how varied and diverse our industry is and what makes it great.
“Competition this year was fierce, reflecting the excellence evident across each category and I congratulate all the 2025 winners, and especially those who won Gold, an achievement cementing their place as the standard bearers of our world-class tourism industry.”
In addition to the 16 core category award winners, three special awards were also presented this year including an ‘Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award,’ a ‘Travel Content Award’ and a ‘Tourism Superstar Award’.
Phoebe Smith - SILVER - Travel Content Award for the article we supported in The Guardianabout Northumberland. Read the article here.
This is a brilliant testament to the fabulous teams who work so hard on a daily basis to make Northumberland and the North East the thriving visitor economy it is!
