Tynedale businesses take gold and silver at North East Tourism Awards

Langley Castle Hotel, Greenhead Hotel, The Sill and Hillside Huts & Cabins were among many businesses praised in different categories for their hard work and dedication at the North East Tourism Awards.

Langley Castle Hotel, near Haydon Bridge, won Resilience and Innovation Award and was Highly Commended in the Small Hotel of the Year category.

The judges who awarded Langley Castle Gold said they were hugely impressed by all the innovative ways the castle has managed to stay at the forefront of tourism in the region, despite all the issues surrounding the pandemic.

Executive General Manager Margaret Livingstone-Evans says, "We have used every ounce of creativity we can muster to create new experiences for guests and visitors of all kinds, and this award demonstrates how much-added value we bring to a stay or a wedding.

"The award is a well-deserved team effort, built on our mutual love and pride in our fantastic medieval fortified castle and its truly authentic visitor experience. I am delighted to have led the team to this Gold win, which is good for us but also for wider Northumberland, given how much we support and help promote other businesses, through our various initiatives."

Winning two silver awards and attending their first awards since opening in 2020, Greenhead Hotel in Brampton saw success in 'North East Pub Of The Year' & 'North East New Tourism Business Of The Year'.

Jordon Dodwell, the owner of Greenhead Hotel, said: "It's the first year we have been in the running for any awards at the North East Tourism awards ceremony, so it feels amazing to come away with two awards.

"The categories we saw success in were 'North East Pub Of The Year' and 'North East New Tourism Business Of The Year', and it means a lot for us to get recognised for the hard work we have put in since opening in August 2020.

"Taking over in the first lockdown, life has been far from easy in our first few years of business. Over the years, we endured further lockdowns, which led to many supply issues associated with the pandemic and Brexit. Now we have the cost of living rising rapidly.

"Thankfully, we have been able to retain a lot of staff over a period of time, which has led to consistently good food & service, as many of our reviews on trip advisor and open table recognise.

"They're all a credit to employ, and it's down to them to why we were successful at the award ceremony.

"The awards are a fabulous event for the north, allowing businesses' (the vast majority small & independent) a chance to shine and bring some spotlight on themselves. The north east is a remarkable place to live or visit, and it's so warming to see a lot of investment into the tourism sector here."

Hillside Huts & Cabins in Haltwhistle were thrilled to come away with silver and gold awards after judges recognised them for understanding their customers and market, Philip Gregory, Managing Director of Hillside Huts & cabins, reflects, "We are delighted to have won both a Gold and Silver at the North East Tourism Awards.

"We were particularly pleased by the judge's comments that Hillside Huts & cabins had an excellent understanding of their market, had sustainable goals at their heart, exceeded the of their guests and had clear plans for their future development."

Finally, recently visited by Robson Green, The Sill in Hexham returned from the awards night as the Business Event Venue of the Year winner.

Rosie Thomas, Director of Business Development, Northumberland National Park Authority, said: "We are delighted to receive the North East Tourism Award for Business Event Venue of the Year 2023 and thank the judges for visiting The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre, meeting our staff and experiencing our corporate offer.

"The Sill, situated within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hadrian's Wall, is a gateway to Northumberland National Park and was designed to make the landscape accessible to all.

"The Sill's Corporate offer includes high-spec meeting rooms and truly unique team-building away days, providing organisations and their people with the space to think and connect with the landscape in a world-class setting.

"The team develop and deliver bespoke experiences which are both welcoming and accessible, and we're very proud their hard work and commitment have been recognised in this way."