A pork pie and sausage maker from Nottingham, Five Star self-catering apartments in the Lake District and a Bed & Breakfast in the heart of the Darlington countryside join HRH The Duke of York today, St George's Day (April 23) to receive the highest accolade in English tourism - the Safeway Excellence in England Gold Awards. 

Outstanding customer service, innovative business ideas, a commitment to the environment and accessibility for disabled guests are just some of the qualities demonstrated by the winners of the Awards, run annually by the English Tourism Council (ETC).

Prince Andrew joined Tourism Minister Kim Howells at the Awards ceremony at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden to congratulate the 12 winners and support English tourism at its absolute best.

The winners have beaten competition from hundreds of entries. They came through both regional heats run by England's 10 regional tourist boards and through public nominations. A panel of judges including ETC board member and broadcaster Sue Lawley, ETC head of quality standards David Stanbridge, North West Tourist Board chief executive Dorothy Naylor, Holiday Which? editor Patricia Yates and travel journalist Alison Rice, chose the winners from a final shortlist of 32.

The Gold Award winners are:

Bed & Breakfast 
Clow Beck House, Monkend Farm, Darlington
Caravan Holiday Park 
Kelling Heath Holiday Park, Norfolk 
Hotel (over 50 rooms)
Island Hotel, Tresco, Isles of Scilly
Hotel (under 60 rooms) 
Matfen Hall Hotel, Northumberland
Marketing in Tourism 
Beaulieu National Motor Museum, Hampshire
Most Improved Resort 
Scarborough, North Yorkshire
People Award for Outstanding Customer Service 
Stephen Hallam, managing director 'Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe & The Sausage Shop'
Self-Catering Holiday 
Underscar, Ambleside, Cumbria
Short Break Destination 
Northumbria
Tourist Information Centre 
Liverpool & Albert Dock Tourist Information Centres 
Visitor Attraction (over 100,000 visitors) 
Science Museum, London
Visitor Attraction (under 100,000 visitors) 
The World Of Glass, St Helens, Merseyside

Sue Lawley, who was the main presenter of the Safeway Excellence in England Awards 2002 said: "I am delighted to be involved with these Awards especially in a critical year for the rebuilding of English tourism. It's an honour to have HRH The Duke of York with us and a recognition of the importance of our tourism industry.

"These awards reflect the very best of England's tourism industry. To win a Gold Award is a great accolade. As a judge, I can verify that the competition was strong and I congratulate all the finalists that have travelled from all over England to be here today."

The ceremony itself was a showcase of all that England has to offer. Guests representing all areas of the travel industry and the English regions were treated to English ale tasting, tips on organic gardening and were even able to meet Peter Rabbit in his 100th birthday year.

ENDS

EDITOR'S NOTES:

SPONSORS:
Safeway plc
Safeway is the fourth largest Supermarket in the UK and has over 480 stores; 150 petrol stations; 50 BP/Safeway petrol stations and around 90,000 employees. Safeway aims to provide the best fresh products and offer the best customer service. Safeway was voted the Daily Express Supermarket of the Year 2000 - 2001 for supporting British produce. 

GNER 
GNER, whose trains link London, the East Midlands, Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland is proud to support this year's Safeway Excellence in England Awards. As one of the UK's leading train operators, GNER has made substantial investments to meet increasing customer expectations.

Eight of the Awards were run as regional heats by England's 10 Regional Tourist Boards, while the Marketing in Tourism Award, Most Improved Resort, People Award for Outstanding Customer Service and Short Break Destination of the Year Awards were run by national media partners.

The media sponsors are:
The Telegraph - Most Improved Resort of the Year
- Outstanding Customer Service Award
Marketing Week - Marketing in Tourism Award 
Teletext - Short Break Destination of the Year Award (winner only to be announced on April 23)

Bed and Breakfast of the Year

Gold Award Winner 
Clow Beck House
Monkend Farm, Croft-on-Tees, Darlington, DL22 2SW
Contact: David Armstrong, 01325 721 075

Silver Award Winners 
Lakeshore House
Ecclerigg, Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 1LJ
Contact: Keith Robinson, 01539 433 202

The Old Lock-Up
North End, Wirksworth, Derbyshire, DE4 4FG
Contact: Tony Wheeler, 01629 826 272

Caravan Park of the Year

Gold Award Winner 
Kelling Heath Holiday Park
Weyborne, Holt, Norfolk NR25 7HW
Contact: Michael Timewell, tel: 01493 781 100

Silver Award Winners
Holgates Caravan Park
Middlebarrow Plain, Silverdale, Nr Carnforth, Lancashire LA5 OSH
Contact: Jon Boston, tel: 01768 895 225

Ord House Country Park
East Ord, Berwick upon Tweed, Northumberland TD15 2NS
Contact: Howard Marshall, tel: 01289 305 288

Hotel of the Year (under 60 rooms)

Gold Award Winner 
Matfen Hall Hotel
Matfen, Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, NE20 ORH
Contact: Barbara Huddart, tel: 01289 388 264

Silver Award Winners
Castle House 
Castle Street, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 2NW
Contact: Carrie Wright, tel: 01432 340 200

Percy's Country Hotel and Restaurant
Coombeshead Estate, Virginstow, Devon, EX21 5EA
Contact: Ross Hayward, tel: 01409 211 236

Hotel of the Year (over 50 rooms)

Gold Award Winner 
Island Hotel
Tresco, Isles of Scilly, Cornwall TR24 OPU
Contact: Rosie Inge, 01749 670 070

Silver Award Winners
Ashdown Park Hotel
Wych Cross, Forest Row, East Sussex RH18 5JR
Contact: Debbie Whitehead, 01342 824 988

The Landmark London
222 Marylebone Road, London NW1 6JQ
Contact: Alison Hull, tel: 0207 837 8808

Marketing in Tourism

Gold Award Winner 
Beaulieu National Motor Museum
John Montague Building, Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hampshire SO42 7ZN
Contact: Margaret Rowles, tel: 01590 614 603

Silver Award Winners
Leisure Pass Group 
58-60 Berners Street, London W1P 3AE
Contact: Andrew Grahame, tel: 0207 907 1521

Monkhouse Hill Cottages
Sebergham, Nr Caldbeck, Cumbria CA5 7HW
Contact: Jennifer and Andrew Collard, tel: 016974 76254

Most Improved Resort of the Year

Gold Award Winner 
Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Contact: Mike Wilkinson, tel: 01723 232560

Silver Award Winners
Hastings, East Sussex
Contact: Kevin Boorman, tel: 01424 781 122

Weymouth and Portland, Dorset
Contact: Dr Douglas Gyte, tel: 01305 206279

People Award for Outstanding Customer Service

Gold Award Winner
Stephen Hallam
Managing Director Dickinson & Morris 'Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe & The Sausage Shop' 10 Nottingham Street, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire LE13 1NW
Contact: Stephen Hallam, tel: 01664 482 068

Silver Award Winner 
Mrs Jeanette King 
Walsingham Shirehall Museum and Tourist Information, Common Place, Little Walsingham, Norfolk NR22 6BP
Contact: John Downing, tel: 01328 820 510

Self-Catering Holiday of the Year

Gold Award Winner 
Underscar
Fisherbeck Mill, Old Lake Road, Ambleside, Cumbria LA22 0DH
Contact: Sue Jackson, tel: 01539 432 321

Silver Award Winners
Goldhill Mill Cottages
Golden Green, Tonbridge, Kent TN11 0BA
Contact: Vernon Cole, 01732 851 626

Keeper's Lodge
c/o Spring House Farm, Castleton, Hope, Hope Valley, Derbyshire S33 8WB
Contact: Christine Bell, tel: 01433 620962

Tourist Information Centre of the Year

Gold Award Winner 
Liverpool Tourist Information Centre
Queen Square Centre, Roe Street, Liverpool, Merseyside L1 1RG
Albert Dock Tourist Information Centre, Atlantic Pavilion, Albert Dock, Liverpool L3 4AE
Contact: Angela Roberts, tel: 0151 702 0906

Silver Award Winners
Beverley Tourist Information Centre
34 Butcher Row, Beverley HU17 0AB
Contact: Brian Kennedy, tel: 01482 391 670

Salisbury Tourist Information Centre
Fish Row, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 1EJ
Contact: Jane Fry, tel: 01722 434 370

Visitor Attraction of the Year (over 100,000 visitors)

Gold Award Winner 
Science Museum 
Exhibition Road, London SW7 2DD
Contact: Matt Moore, 020 7942 4364

Silver Award Winners
The Wedgwood Story
Wedgwood, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST12 9ES
Contact: Graeme Whitehead, tel: 01782 282 987

Waddesdon Manor
Waddesdon, Nr Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP18 0JH
Contact: Vicky Darby, tel: 01296 653 2321

Visitor Attraction of the Year (under 100,000 visitors)

Gold Award Winner 
The World of Glass
Chalon Way East, St Helens, Merseyside WA10 1BX
Contact: Hare Carding Communications Group, tel: 01270 254007

Silver Award Winners
Royal Air Force Air Defence Radar Museum
RAF Neatishead, Norwich, Norfolk NR12 8YB
Contact: Doug Robb, tel: 01692 633 309

The Hawk Conservancy
Andover, Hampshire SP11 8DY
Contact: Maurice Hardy, tel: 01264 773 850

Short Break Destination of the Year

Gold Award Winner
Northumbria
Northumbria Tourist Board, Aykley Heads, Durham DH1 5UX
Contact: Val Lowther, tel: 0191 375 3004