Meet the 2026 Awards for Excellence Finalists

Flora and Fauna Exmoor, Exmoor

Tucked within Exmoor National Park, Flora and Fauna opened in 2023 as a farm diversification project. Two safari-style tents combine luxury with carefully integrated accessibility, becoming the UK’s first to achieve an M3 Gold Star rating for full-time wheelchair users.

Set on a working farm, the retreat offers a quiet, secluded setting where visitors can unwind and connect with the landscape.

Developed with specialist consultants to combine accessibility, luxury and bespoke design, the project earned its owners VisitEngland’s Rose Award for Recognition of Service Excellence in 2023. 

One Acre Wood, Herefordshire

Opened in 2023 in the Herefordshire countryside; One Acre Wood offers a collection of handcrafted treehouses designed as a nature-based escape. Set within a woodland canopy, the accommodation combines spacious interiors with outdoor features including firepits, play areas and woodland trails.  

Developed as a family-led project, the site provides a secluded rural setting where guests can enjoy time together, with the experience shaped by both the landscape and the unique design of each treehouse. 

The Story of Emily, Cornwall

Located in St Ive, The Story of Emily is a recently established visitor attraction centred on the life and legacy of English humanitarian and peace activist Emily Hobhouse. Set within a restored Victorian rectory, the experience combines immersive exhibitions, the War Rooms museum and heritage-inspired spaces with gardens and a restaurant.  

Since opening, it quickly established itself as one of the most distinctive and emotionally resonant new destinations within Cornwall, offering visitors a reflective and engaging way to explore history in a carefully curated setting. 

Farlam Hall Hotel & Restaurant, Cumbria

Farlam Hall is a country house hotel in Cumbria with a history dating back to 1428. Set within landscaped grounds, it blends tradition and innovation. Under current ownership, the Hall has undergone refurbishment to update both guest accommodation and dining spaces. 

The hotel now offers bedrooms within the main house as well as additional cottages, while its Michelin star winning restaurant focuses on locally sourced ingredients. Located near Hadrian’s Wall, it provides a base for visitors exploring the surrounding area. 

Peak Edge Hotel, Derbyshire 

Peak Edge Hotel is a family-owned property located on the edge of the Peak District, offering 27 individually designed bedrooms alongside the Red Lion Restaurant. Originally dating back to 1788, the hotel has been restored and developed to combine its heritage with a contemporary approach to hospitality. 

The business works closely with its nearby Red Tractor accredited Walton Lodge Farm, supplying meat and produce directly to the kitchen, while guests can stay, dine, or explore the surrounding countryside. 
 

The Tempus, Northumberland

In Northumberland, The Tempus reimagines former farm buildings as a design-led destination hotel with a distinctive personality. 40 individually styled bedrooms and bold communal spaces create an immersive environment, while venues such as The Orangery host dining, celebrations and events throughout the year.  

Since opening in 2023, the property has expanded its offer to include additional accommodation and experiences, attracting both overnight guests and visitors for dining and events within a restored rural setting. 
 

Blacksmithing Experience Days (Oldfield Forge Ltd), Herefordshire

Set within the Herefordshire countryside, Oldfield Forge offers the UK’s leading blacksmithing experiences for individuals, families and groups. Visitors can create their own items while learning traditional techniques in a hands-on setting, guided by a skilled team of 25 passionate staff. Each visit combines creativity and craft, with guests leaving with a unique, handcrafted product they can take home and be proud of. 

Make Your Own Distilled Spirit (Shed One Distillery), Cumbria

Beginning life in a small garden shed in Ulverston in 2016, this Cumbrian distillery now offers a range of hands-on visitor experiences in a characterful converted space. Guests can create their own gin or vodka, join guided tours and tastings, or enjoy botanical-inspired afternoon teas. The experience combines craft, flavour and a relaxed, sociable atmosphere, encouraging visitors to explore both the process and the products at their own pace. 

The Wizard Walk of York, North Yorkshire

Enchanting tourists since 2022, this walking tour explores York’s historic streets and hidden corners, blending storytelling with magic and humour. Visitors follow a carefully planned route designed for accessibility, while taking part in moments of performance along the way. Participants can even purchase wand kits, to continue the experience beyond the tour.’.  

Created with families in mind, it offers a light-hearted and imaginative way to experience the city beyond its more traditional tours. 

Bosinver Farm Cottages, Cornwall

Award-winning holiday cottage complex Bosinver Farm Cottages offers a collection of detached self-catering cottages arranged like a small hamlet. The land is managed organically for wildlife and focuses on reconnecting guests with the peaceful beautiful natural environment

Families can explore open spaces, meet animals and enjoy time outdoors, while interiors provide comfort and space to relax. Close to the coast yet rooted in a rural setting, it offers a flexible and family-focused base for exploring the wider area.

Cedar Hollow @ The Oaks, Oxfordshire

What started in 2021 with the dream of building a space for hosting charity events year-round, turned into a haven of illusion and magic: escape rooms, enchanted mirrors, secret doors and more, to spark curiosity in children and adults alike.

Tucked within woodland, The Oaks is a family-run collection of immersive self-catering retreats drawing inspiration from storytelling and craft. From a treehouse to themed hideaways, each space is designed to encourage exploration as well as relaxation, creating a distinctive, imaginative stay.

Whether stargazing in the jacuzzi or solving riddles in the woods, guests leave restored, reconnected, and re-enchanted. 
 

Rowley Farm Holidays, Worcestershire

Rowley Farm Holidays was born from owner Clare’s vision to breathe new life into a disused Worcestershire farm and create a peaceful, design-led retreat where both humans and dogs feel truly at home in luxury accommodation.

Featuring a collection of converted farm buildings and a shepherd’s hut designed as a quiet rural retreat, this business specialises in welcoming anxious dogs, offering enclosed gardens, quiet rural surroundings, and stress-reducing features.

The Catalyst, Newcastle

In Newcastle’s innovation district, The Catalyst is a leading business events venue offering 11 flexible meeting and event spaces, alongside a dedicated exhibition area. Its facilities include a theatre, breakout rooms and exhibition spaces, supporting a wide range of event formats.

Set within a hub of research and enterprise, The Catalyst combines contemporary facilities with a strong connection to innovation and industry. 
 

Nottingham Venues, Nottingham

Nottingham Venues is a collection of independent venues located within the landscaped grounds of the university campus. Focused on excellence in meetings and events, it offers a diverse range of conferencing, hotel and event spaces, supporting everything from intimate meetings to large-scale international conferences.

Since its inception in 1994, the site has continually evolved, now employing 290 people and welcoming tens of thousands of guests each year. 

Warwick Conferences, Warwick

Set within the University of Warwick campus, Warwick Conferences is dedicated to transforming the way training, events and conferences are run by providing innovative environments and excellent service.  

Offering endless possibilities for organisers, Warwick Conferences hosts theatres, lecture rooms and outdoor spaces, accommodating everything from small meetings to large conferences across 300 event and meeting spaces within three venues. For larger events, Central Campus Venues can host up to 1,200 delegates.

A strong focus on flexible spaces allows organisers to tailor events that inspire and enable delegates to flourish. 

Blackfriars, Newcastle

Set within a medieval friary dating back to 1239, Blackfriars Restaurant offers dining in one of Britain’s oldest refectories. In 2001, local entrepreneurs Andy and Sam Hook opened Blackfriars Restaurant and under their ownership, the business has grown over the past 24 years to employ around 70 staff.  

Menus focus on traditional British dishes made with seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, prepared in-house. Service is relaxed, informal and friendly yet professional with consistent attention to detail and represents excellent value for money.  

Alongside everyday dining, the venue hosts events, banquets and cookery classes actively engaging with the community, ensuring its heritage and values continue to enrich Newcastle for generations to come. 

Carriages Restaurant, Herefordshire

Located in Herefordshire, Carriages offers a refined dining experience centred around seasonal menus and local produce. Guests begin with a welcome drink courtesy of owner Tony Killeen, along with a selection of canapes and housemade focaccia and salted butter, before settling into a space overlooking landscaped gardens, where tasting and à la carte menus evolve throughout the year. 

The combination of setting, service and carefully sourced ingredients shapes a considered and engaging dining experience. 

Eight at Gazegill by Doug Crampton, Lancashire

Eight at Gazegill opened 9th March 2024. Emma and Ian took the reins of the organic family farm in 2006 with an ambition that onsite farm produce would be served in an onsite restaurant.

Set within a working organic farm in Lancashire, Eight at Gazegill is a unique off grid, farm‑to‑fork dining experience shaped by the seasons. Menus change regularly to reflect what is available from the farm and surrounding land, with ingredients sourced, grown or foraged nearby. Set within a striking oak‑framed building, it combines landscape, produce and dining into a single experience.

Employing 18 full time staff, Eight at Gazegill is a growing business that understands their team is pivotal to the success of the farm. 

Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre, Birmingham

Located on the edge of the University of Birmingham campus, this four‑star hotel combines contemporary accommodation with event and conference facilities. It operates with a clear sustainability strategy, focused on reducing its carbon footprint while strengthening guest experience and community engagement, with work recognised by B Lab, ECOsmart and Green Tourism. 

As one of only a handful of UK hotels with B Corp certification, Edgbaston Park Hotel and Conference Centre champions its people, planet and community, with an ambition to reach net zero carbon by 2035, aligning with the University of Birmingham’s sustainability commitments.

Eight at Gazegill by Doug Crampton, Lancashire

Set within an organic farm in Lancashire, Eight at Gazegill offers a dining experience shaped by its surroundings. Ingredients are grown, reared or foraged on-site, with menus evolving through the seasons to reflect the farming year. Sustainability is embedded across every aspect of the business with solar, wind and battery storage as well as wood fired cooking powering the site. 

The setting connects visitors directly with the land, providing a clear sense of place through both the food and the surrounding landscape. 

Gladwins Farm - Self Catering Holiday Cottages, Suffolk

Set within 22 acres of Suffolk countryside, Gladwins Farm offers a family-run collection of 13 eco-conscious holiday cottages and lodges where regenerative tourism is a way of life. With solar arrays, a biomass boiler, natural sewage plant, and rainwater recycling, the self-catering site generates its own energy and nurtures its natural surroundings. 

Guests can explore woodland walks, enjoy open spaces and make use of on-site facilities, creating a self-contained experience. With a long history of welcoming visitors, it continues to offer a setting shaped by its landscape. 

Andy Black, Café Manager at Horses and Ponies Protection Association, Lancashire

As Café Manager at HAPPA, Andy Black has played a key role in transforming the on-site café into a welcoming and central part of the visitor experience. His work extends beyond the kitchen, contributing to events, supporting the wider team and helping to create an environment where visitors feel at ease. Alongside developing new menus and seasonal offers, he works closely with local suppliers, while also supporting the day-to-day running of the site, making him a constant and dependable presence across the organisation. 

Jayne Chapman, Farm Manager at Tatton Park, Cheshire

Jayne Chapman has been at the heart of Tatton Park’s Farm for over 35 years, shaping it into a place where visitors can connect with farming, heritage and conservation. As Farm Manager, her work spans everything from developing educational programmes to supporting rare breed initiatives, including work to help preserve native livestock. She leads a wide range of events throughout the year and plays an active role in the local community, bringing knowledge, energy and consistency that underpin both the day-to-day running of the farm and the experience visitors encounter. 

Vivienne Smith, Volunteer at the National Stone Centre, Derbyshire

Viv Smith has become a familiar and valued presence at the National Stone Centre since joining as a volunteer in 2020. Initially supporting the Rock Shop, she has since taken on a wider role across education and visitor engagement, working with school groups and leading guided fossil tours. Her enthusiasm and knowledge play an important role in bringing the site to life for visitors, while her work developing new activities and supporting group visits continues to enhance the experience offered across the Centre.

Attwell Farm Park, Worcestershire

This multi-award-winning, family-run attraction in Worcestershire offers a wide variety of activities, from animal encounters to indoor play and seasonal events. Visitors can explore different areas of the park throughout the year, with changing experiences reflecting the seasons. With a mix of outdoor space and covered facilities, it provides a flexible and engaging day out.

Now welcoming over 236,000 visitors annually, Attwell Farm Park blends farming fun with meaningful, accessible experiences for all ages and abilities. 
 

Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire

Once the centre of British codebreaking during the Second World War, Bletchley Park is now a museum bringing that history to life since opening to visitors for the first time in 1993.  

Visitors can explore restored huts, hands-on exhibitions and interactive displays, including cinematic experiences and guided tours. Set within historic grounds, the site offers insight into the people and work that shaped a pivotal moment in history. Free guided tours and a free multimedia guide further enhance a unique day out. Public interest has grown enormously with visitor numbers exceeding 250,000 visitors a year since 2016. 

Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park, Suffolk

Originally starting as a rare breed pig farm Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park – owned and run by star of by BBC2’s Jimmy’s Farm, has grown from a smallholding into a multi‑faceted destination, now including a wildlife park, farm shop and restaurant. Set in the Suffolk countryside, the site is home to over 100 species and breeds, including brown bears, rare native livestock and Europe’s largest polar bear reserve.

Visitors can explore, play and learn across the site, while the on‑site restaurant offers field‑to‑fork dining within a converted 200‑year‑old barn. Sustainability, conservation and community engagement remain central to its development, with continued investment supporting a business that welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.