Winners of Staffordshire’s tourism awards crowned

Businesses from across the county gathered at Statfold Country Park in Tamworth for the glittering black-tie event sponsored by University of Staffordshire and hosted by BBC Midlands Today’s Rebecca Harper.

An audience of nearly 400 guests saw the winners of 20 categories announced, including Alton Towers Resort (Large Visitor Attraction of the Year), Emma Bridgewater (Small Visitor Attraction of the Year), The Plumicorn at the Tawny Hotel (Restaurant of the Year) and Thyme Kitchen (Casual Dining Award).

The Tawny made it a double win and were also named Hotel of the Year, while The Fitzherbert Arms, Swynnerton retained the Pub of the Year title, and the World of Wedgwood won the International Tourism Award for the second year running.

The Experience of the Year went to Hoar Cross Hall for their Rural Retreat Spa stay, while New Business of the Year was Hockerhill Adventure Playbarn in South Staffordshire.

Denstone Hall Farm Shop & Café took home a double win in both the Tearoom & Coffee Shop of the Year and the re-introduced Food & Drink Retailer/Farm shop category.

Ford Wetley Cottage took the victory in the Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year category, whilst the Small Serviced Accommodation of the Year was Walnut House at the Duncombe Arms in Ellastone. For the second year running, the Camping, Glamping and Holiday Park Award went to Quarry Walk Park in the Staffordshire Moorlands.

There were also wins for Lowe’s on Carter Street in Uttoxeter and George Lowe won in the Unsung Hero category. Stoke City FC's bet365 Stadium won Business Events Venue of the Year and the National Memorial Arboretum was successful in the Accessible & Inclusive Tourism Award category.

A new category for 2026, the Regenerative Tourism Award, was won by Eagle House, Eccleshall.

Moddershall Oaks Country Spa Retreat's team were named Team of the Year after recovering from devastating flood damage to their venue, and the Rising Star Award went to Poppy Gascoine from Desire Cocktail Bar in Stoke-on-Trent.

There was also a special award for Outstanding Contribution to Tourism in Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent presented to Mo Chaudry, the former owner of Waterworld Leisure Resort, in recognition of his 30-year commitment to growing the Staffordshire visitor economy and his new Momentum Venture Capital fund to support young Staffordshire entrepreneurs.

Hayley Coles, Cabinet Member for Culture and Communities at Staffordshire County Council, said: “I would like to say a huge well done to all our winners at this year’s awards and how proud I am of them.

“Once again, it’s wonderful to see such a broad mix of winners and runners up, from our larger attractions, like Alton Towers and the National Memorial Arboretum, to other smaller independent businesses like Thyme Kitchen and Eagle House, Eccleshall.

“Staffordshire really is a fantastic county to visit and its events like this that help us showcase our amazing tourism offer to a much wider audience. These businesses are the backbone of our economy, supporting jobs and strengthening communities and we’re working hard with them to grow the sector even further. We really are the nation’s playground and the beating heart of the country.”

Jane Ashworth, Leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “Last night’s Tourism Awards were a great success for the city, with beloved local businesses like World of Wedgwood and Emma Bridgewater winning big.

"Stoke-on-Trent is a fantastic place for tourism, with so many outstanding places that people can visit to enjoy themselves. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees who continue to put our amazing city on the map!”

Martin Tideswell, Director of Commercial Strategy at the University of Staffordshire, said: “We are proud to continue our support as headline sponsor of the Visit Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Tourism Awards. As an anchor institution within the region, we recognise the importance of working in partnership to support sustainable economic growth and strengthen Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent’s profile at a national level.

“These awards provide an important platform to recognise the businesses and individuals whose innovation, resilience and commitment enhance our visitor economy and contribute to the wider success of our communities.”

The winners of 15 categories progress to represent Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent at the national VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, which will be held in early June.

Category sponsors were Staffordshire University, Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, Shepherd PR, Staffordshire County Council, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Trentham Estate, Screen Staffordshire, NSCG Colleges Group, Stoke-on-Trent College, Starbots Creative, Davenport’s Brewery, Snapsea, Invest Staffordshire, We are Staffordshire, Staffordshire Care Leavers into Employment and Staffordshire Means Business.

Full details of all winners can be found on the Visit Staffordshire website.