Old Barn Tregonetha won the Silver Award for Self-catering Accommodation of the Year.
Coswarth House won the Silver Award for B&B and Guest House of the Year.
The National Lobster Hatchery won the Silver Award for Wildlife Friendly Tourism Business.
|
The Helston attraction took the title at UK online travel site Day Out With The Kids’ Family Favourites Awards.
Day Out With The Kids asked over 25,000 families from across the UK to vote for their favourite family attractions, categorised by regions.
The South West category saw fierce competition due to the high amount of family friendly days out on offer however Flambards Firework Spectaculars rocketed to the top of the list.
The Cornish theme park hosts the pyrotechnic festivities twice weekly throughout the summer holidays. The hugely popular events include a pre-firework show featuring some of pop music’s most famous tribute acts.
Flambards Manager Richard Smith said: “We’re delighted to have won the Days Out With the Kids Award for the Firework Spectaculars and we’re thankful to the all the families that voted for us.”
Cornwall’s best day of the week also placed Highly Recommended in the category Best for Thrills. For adrenaline seekers the Skyraker, Sky Swinger and Sky Force all provide fantastic views of the Cornish countryside, whilst the Hornet gives visitors the chance to ride the UK’s most southerly rollercoaster.
Prawn on the Lawn in Padstow, owned by husband-and-wife team Rick and Katie Toogood, has been named as the winner of the 2019 Seafood Restaurant of the Year competition, organised by The Caterer in association with Seafish.
The competition, now in its fifth year, highlights the great use of seafood and knowledge of often under-used seafood products in all types of restaurants.
The Toogoods’ first foray into the world of fish and shellfish began in 2013 with a fully licensed fishmongers and restaurant, Prawn on the Lawn, in Islington, London. This was followed in May 2015 by a move to Cornwall’s Padstow to set up a second restaurant of the same name.
The Padstow operation offers just 24 covers and a daily changing menu, which the Toogoods aim to make as sustainable as possible, working with local suppliers in the surrounding areas.
The judges of the Seafood Restaurant of the Year competition deliberated long and hard over the decision, delaying to request further information and discussion following the final judging session. In the end, it was the judges’ personal experiences at Prawn on the Lawn, its excellent wine list, visible fish counter and wide range of fish species and the “cool concept” that won them over.
Judge José Souto said: “Prawn on the Lawn Padstow is a restaurant others would look up to. It’s a great concept – promoting fish and seafood in a simple and positive way.”
Guy Owen, head chef of the Idle Rocks at St Mawes (Seafood Restaurant of the Year 2018), added: “Being part of the judging panel, you see how difficult it is to win this competition. The scrutiny is immense.
“Prawn on the Lawn had an exceptional mystery audit report and is quirky and fun. It’s an accessible restaurant that people will understand. It’s a small business using local dayboats for supplies of fish and shellfish and a variety of other local suppliers. It’s a bit of London in the south west.”
Dishes on the menu include Prawn on the Lawn (soda bread with prawns and avocado, pictured below); Porthilly oysters with a selection of garnishes; scallops with Thai marinade and Thai basil; mackerel with soy, sesame, ginger and garlic; whole Padstow lobster and whole turbot.
The Toogoods were surprised and overwhelmed by the announcement. “We are absolutely stunned and a bit emotional,” said Katie.
“It’s incredible to win this against such respected competition. The other restaurants in the top five are all brilliant,” added Rick.
Lisa Jenkins, products and suppliers editor of The Caterer, who surprised Katie and Rick with the Seafood Restaurant of the Year trophy, said: “Rick and Katie’s passion for fish and shellfish is infectious. They’ve built Prawn on the Lawn up from an idea that germinated in Rick’s head and developed it together with a lot of hard work.”
A mystery judging by Seafish scored the restaurant highly, with the mystery diner impressed by the small plates-style of dining and the restaurants’ blackboards displaying the sourcing details of ingredients. They said: “The presentation of the dishes was amazing. There was lots of colour and the scallops in the shell with the beautiful Thai green sauce looked and tasted fantastic.”
The 2019 judging panel included Owen; Derek Marshall, chef-patron of Gamba, Glasgow (the inaugural winner of the competition); Adam Bateman, group operations and development chef, IHG; Adam Thomason, executive head chef, the Genuine Dining Co; Amanda Afiya and Giovanna Grossi, hospitality consultants; Calum Richardson, the Bay Fish and Chips in Aberdeenshire; José Souto, chef-lecturer at Westminster College; and Lisa Jenkins, products and suppliers editor at The Caterer.
Three members of the Prawn on the Lawn team will receive an all-expenses-paid study trip organised by Seafish, where they will have the opportunity to extend their knowledge of the catching, processing and supply of seafood. Each top five finalist will be awarded with vouchers from uniform supplier Russums.
Andy Gray, trade marketing manager for Seafish, said: “We are delighted to support and promote the Seafood Restaurant of the Year award. It’s genuinely inspirational to be among such talented seafood ambassadors. Seafood is widely recognised as one of the healthiest and most sustainable proteins, and as part of a healthy diet regime. As consumers we should all be endeavouring to include at least two portions of seafood in our weekly diets.”
“To be highlighted as a top five finalist in this competition is a fantastic accolade and something to be very proud of. Competition for the title of Seafood Restaurant of the Year title becomes tougher every year and Prawn on the Lawn personifies everything that a good seafood restaurant should be: a business that educates and promotes the eating of fish and shellfish in the right way – simply and ethically, while providing a unique experience for the customer.”
Set in seven acres of beautiful Cornish countryside, overlooking the Camel Estuary, the award-winning Pickwick Inn is one of North Cornwall’s hidden gems.
For thirty-five years proprietors Eddie & Jenny Stanton have been dedicated to providing top quality local cuisine with excellent service in truly wonderful surroundings.
Watch the Pickwick Chefs work their magic in Oliver’s open kitchen, sea view restaurant. Choose from an extensive menu allowing you to pick the finest local catches and cuts and match with a choice of Chef’s speciality sauces. Also, children’s menu, lunchtime snacks and daily Chef’s Specials and vegetarian options available. All ingredients are sourced locally wherever possible and lovingly created by the award-winning brigade of Chefs. A selection of local seafood is always on offer.
The bar offers a wide range of beers and lagers, both local & international and also a comprehensive wine list. There is a generous beer garden with safe children’s play area and large well-lit car park.
Stay in one of nine luxury bedrooms, all with sweeping, uninterrupted views across the Camel Estuary. Arguably, the best views in North Cornwall!
Padstow Pilsner wins prestigious National award
Padstow Brewing Co. wins first place in The Great British Food Awards with its Czech-style Pilsner, beating off stiff competition from the likes of Adnams Ghost Ship. This prestigious competition was judged by a panel of experts, including high profile chefs, Michelin-starred restaurateurs, broadcasters and more. The beer category was judged by beer expert, author and broadcaster Melissa Cole.
Melissa had these glowing words to say about Padstow Pilsner: “Perfectly clean, light and super-refreshing it’s everything I want from a well-made beer of this style, which is tough to make and even tougher to package well.”
The award comes quickly after the cold-fermented Pilsner was awarded a Gold at the 2018 Taste of the West Awards, one of only two awarded to Cornish Breweries (Padstow won both).
Padstow Pilsner (4.4% alc) was one of the first Padstow beers to move into a contemporary 440ml can format, and certainly isn’t the last. “Canning gives us complete control over the final product and presents it to the consumer exactly as it left the brewery. Perfectly chilled and enjoyed cold, it suits the style of beer extremely well” said Head Brewer Caron Archer.
The Brewery has moved two more of its core range to 440ml cans; its hoppy session pale ale Pocket Rocket (4.0% alc) and its oatmeal stout The Smoke (5.5% alc). Both bear the company’s distinctive contemporary branding. It has also partnered with Falmouth University for can designs for its series of one-off brews, allowing art students to get their work into commercial space. These beers, typically IPAs and DIPAs, have proved very popular with craft beer lovers and sell out quickly.
While pressing ahead with canning beers, the brewery remains committed to retaining its range of beers in cask and bottle-conditioned format. “There is great demand for well-made traditional beers, and we will continue to support our customers with our core range of ales” said Caron.
Congratulations, Old Barn Tregonetha has won the South West Tourism Gold Award for the second consecutive year!
It’s no mean feat for the owner of a self-catering property in a small Cornish hamlet to take on the best of the best across the seven counties of the South West and win but that’s exactly what Stephen Chidgey has achieved. Not only that, he’s done it for the second consecutive year.
Stephen owns The Old Barn in Tregonetha near Padstow. Comprising three bedrooms and two bathrooms, it is the Cornish holiday destination of choice for many visitors from across the UK each year. Nothing is too much trouble for Stephen and his team when ensuring guests have the most comfortable, welcoming stay possible and that attention to detail has resulted in exceptionally high bookings and a string of industry accolades. In addition to again winning gold in the Self Catering Property of the Year category of this year’s South West Tourism Awards, they include gold in the 2017/18 Cornwall Tourism Awards and, thanks to the Old Barn’s impeccable eco credentials, silver and bronze awards in each event’s Sustainable Tourism categories.
“To win gold at the South West awards for two years running is fantastic,” said Stephen. “We work really hard to act on the feedback we get and to go on improving because it’s never enough to think ‘that’s it, we’re the best, there’s nothing more to be done’ because there always is. As a small business in a rural hamlet, we’re hugely proud to have been judged better than all the competition across the whole South West region and to fly the flag for Cornwall once again.”
The 2017/18 South West Tourism Awards were held at The Riviera Centre in Torquay. There was a 7 per cent increase in entries and more than 450 people attended the evening which was hosted by BBC Spotlight’s presenter Victoria Graham.
The Old Barn has been nominated through for the Visit England Awards. Announcement of finalists is expected in March.
For more information, visit https://www.oldbarncornwall.co.uk/
http://www.southwesttourismawards.org.uk/
Click here to view Old Barn Tregonetha.
