James’ Places Group, which owns Holmes Mill, The Waddington Arms and a number of hotels, pubs and inns throughout the Northwest, is celebrating a record-breaking week in which its venues and staff picked up no fewer than five coveted awards.
The awards recognised excellence in fields as diverse as food and drink retailing, inspiring leadership, pride of place and traditional Lancastrian hospitality.
The roll of honour includes:
Lancashire Life Food Awards – Independent Retailer of the Year
Bowland Food Hall
Lancashire Best Kept Village – Best Hotel/Guest House
Eaves Hall
LateRooms.com/eviivo.com – Special Recognition Award
Waddington Arms
SIBA Northwest Independent Beer Awards
Gold: Bowland Brewery Dragonglass
Bronze: Bowland Brewery Buster
Lancashire Business View Sub 36 Leader Awards Finalist
Lesley-Anne Stevens, General Manager, Mitton Hall Hotel
Describing Bowland Food Hall as a ‘a glittering showcase for an amazing range of food’, Lancashire Life Food Awards judges, said: “This is a wonderful showcase for the best of Lancashire’s food and drink. This amazing building is a temple to good taste and people come from across the county to sample its delights.”
Bowland Brewery’s popular Buster IPA took a Bronze award in the Premium Cask IPA Class, while the dark and complex limited edition Dragonglass took Gold in the Cask Strong Beer Class.
The prestigious awards, run by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) and held at the Macron stadium in Bolton, are judged in a blind tasting by brewers and beer experts and seen very much as the brewers’ choice awards in the industry.
James’ Places operations manager Maurice Camm, said: “It’s truly rewarding to receive such recognition for all the hard work that goes into making visitors feel welcome at our venues. Whether it’s our guests or our staff, people are at the heart of our business and we work hard to make everyone feel part of the James’ Places family.
“These awards reflect the pride our employees take in their work. Whether it’s sourcing the best local produce we can find for the Food Hall or going the extra mile to make someone’s stay in Lancashire that little bit more special, I am immensely proud of everyone who has played their part in winning these awards for James’ Places.”
