Shropshire Star Tourism & Leisure Awards - meet the winners

James Berresford, chief executive of national tourism association VisitEngland, was guest of honour at the awards lunch, held at Enginuity in the Ironbridge Gorge.

He joined the leading movers and shakers from the Shropshire tourism scene to see 16 winners crowned.

The Shropshire Star launched the awards earlier this year as a platform to showcase best practise across the tourism and leisure sectors.

We joined forces with headline sponsor Telford College of Arts and Technology, the local authorities, Global Freight, Lilleshall National Sports & Conferencing Centre, and 15 other category sponsors.

Shropshire Star editor Martin Wright said the awards had been the most successful in the newspaper's history for reader interaction.

The first six awards handed out yesterday were based on votes cast by Shropshire Star readers.

And readers clearly decided you don't have to spend any money on admission prices for the Best Day Out, because the prize went to the Carding Mill Valley and Long Mynd, near Church Stretton. With nearly 5,000 acres of heather-covered hills and stunning views of the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Welsh hills, it beat fellow finalists the Burwarton Show, Severn Valley Railway, and Stokesay Castle.

The award for Best Night Out went to The Buttermarket in Shrewsbury which, after a £2 million refurbishment, is proving it certainly has the X Factor by attracting the top acts from the ITV music show. It took the prize ahead of two other Shrewsbury venues – The Hive and the Old Market Hall – plus Oakengates Theatre in Telford.

Readers chose Arthur's at Fordhall Farm as the Best Cafe or Tearoom. The business, which is at the heart of the shareholder-owned organic farm near Market Drayton, has top rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association and prides itself on offering a locally-sourced, seasonal and sustainable menu. The Best Posh Nosh award, for restaurants and top-end bistro pubs, was won by The Hundred House at Norton, near Shifnal, which topped the readers' poll ahead of the Michelin-starred Mr Underhill's in Ludlow, and Sebastians of Oswestry.

When it came to Best Pub Grub, The Huntsman at Little Wenlock triumphed ahead of two others from the outskirts of Newport, The Aston and The Fox. The Huntsman has recently reopened after a big-money refurbishment, and sources its food from a host of local suppliers.

In the final readers' choice category, The Mytton Arms at Habberley was named Pub of the Year ahead of The Old Fighting Cocks in Oakengates and The George And Dragon in Much Wenlock.

Nine further awards were decided by a panel of expert judges from the tourism sector. The first was Small Hotel of the Year, which went to The Castle in Bishop's Castle, run by Henry Hunter and his family for the past three years. Runner-up was The Lion & Pheasant in Shrewsbury, a boutique hotel with 22 rooms, with The Lion of Leintwardine in third place.

In the Large Hotel of the Year section, the new Premier Inn in Shrewsbury town centre was the winner. The runner-up was Park Inn by Radisson in Telford, with the Ramada Telford Ironbridge – formerly Gray's Hotel – in third place.

The award for Best Bed and Breakfast accommodation was won by The Limes in Wellington, which has nine ensuite rooms and many pages of compliments in its visitors' book. Grove Farm House in Condover was runner-up, with Hopton House at Hopton Heath in third.

One of Shropshire's most unusual tourist attractions won the Best Self Catering provider category. Coalport Station Holidays – described by one guest as "like the Orient Express but without the noise", gives visitors the chance to stay in two converted vintage railway carriages.

The other finalists in this category were The Shooting Folly near Cheswardine, Plaish Park Farm near Church Stretton, and Ashford Farm Cottages on the south Shropshire border, near Ludlow.

In the Business Tourism category, the judges said there was one clear winner – the Royal Air Force Museum at Cosford.

The winner of the Taste of Shropshire section, for businesses which produce or prepare quality food with a local flavour, was Hobson's Brewery near Cleobury Mortimer.

The business, founded by father and son Jim and Nick Davis, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Runner-up was Ludlow Food Centre, with Fordhall Organic Farm near Market Drayton in third.

There were two awards yesterday for popular visitor attractions – one for smaller events with fewer than 50,000 visitors a year, and one for larger sites. The prize for the Small Visitor Attraction went to Hawkstone Park Follies, near Wem, the extraordinary woodland fantasy which is bristling with history.

The quirky Land of Lost Content Museum in Craven Arms was runner-up.

In the Large Visitor Attraction category, top prize went to Attingham Park, the National Trust stately home near Shrewsbury. Ironbridge Gorge Museums were named runner-up, with Park Hall Countryside Experience in Oswestry in third.

The final tourism award of the afternoon was for Tourism Event of the Year, and it was won by the RAF Cosford Air Show.

The judges also decided to present a special award yesterday to someone who they felt had made an Outstanding Contribution to the tourism industry in Shropshire. It was given to Katie Foster, who has held many posts over the years, including chairing the Heritage Lottery Fund in the West Midlands.

Master of ceremonies Carl Jones, the Shropshire Star's assistant editor, told the audience: "The award goes to a person whose name has been synonymous with the tourism industry for three decades.

"When regional development agency Advantage West Midlands were looking for a tourism consultant, they wasted no time knocking on her door. There's nothing she doesn't know about tourism in Shropshire."

The ceremony was rounded off by VisitEngland's James Berresford, a strong supporter of the awards from the outset.

He said: "I always consider Shropshire to be a bit of an unrealised opportunity. Hopefully these Shropshire Star awards give the county a chance to showcase what it has to offer on a national stage.

Tourism is one of the few growth industries in this country, so I am delighted that the newspaper, and the county, have taken the bull by the horns. "

* Coming soon – A Shropshire Star Tourism & Leisure Awards souvenir 12-page supplement, packed with stories and pictures.

Winners in full:

• Pub of the Year: The Mytton Arms, Habberley

• Pub Grub: The Huntsman, Little Wenlock

• Posh Nosh: The Hundred House Hotel, Norton

• Best Day Out: The Long Mynd/Carding Mill Valley

• Best Night Out: The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

• Cafe/tearoom: Arthurs At Fordhall, Market Drayton

• Large Hotel: Premier Inn, Shrewsbury Town Centre

• Small Hotel: The Castle, Bishop’s Castle

• Bed & Breakfast: The Limes, Wellington

• Self Catering: Coalport Station Holidays

• Business Tourism: RAF Museum, Cosford

• Taste of Shropshire: Hobsons Brewery, Cleobury Mortimer

• Small Visitor Attraction: Hawkstone Park Follies

• Large Visitor Attraction: Attingham Park

• Tourism Event: RAF Cosford Air Show

• Outstanding Contribution: Katie Foster