Finalists of Dorset Tourism Awards announced

Dorset Tourism Awards have announced its 54 finalists for this year's awards, with all now waiting with anticipation for awards day on February10, when they will learn whether they have won Gold, Silver, Bronze or a Special award. A further eight receive Commended status.

Organisers say the 9th year of the competition has seen many tourism businesses 'beset with ever-changing challenges', but insist that the 'focus on excellence, innovation and resilience has remained as relevant as ever'.

Local entries include Sculpture by the Lakes based at Pallington near Dorchester, the Dorset Museum, Weymouth's Nothe Fort, West Bay Discovery Centre. St John’s Guest House in Weymouth is in the running for B&B, Nicetta in Weymouth is in the Casual Dining Award category as is Shalims Indian Restaurant.

South Lytchett Manor in Dorchester has been named alongside Weymouth's Higher Moor Campsite and Charmouth's Monkton Wyld Holiday Park as finalists in the Camping and Caravan Park of the Year category.

Joann Briden runs South Lytchett Manor. She said: "We are honoured to be finalists for this prestigious award. Thank you Dorset Tourism for recognising us."

Weymouth's Ebike cafe opened in the town in November 2020 and has been named in Cafe/Tearoom of the Year category and is run by husband and wife duo, Josephine Parker and Peter Claxton.

Mrs Parker said: "We are thrilled and delighted that we have been recognised for this award. We set out to create a place which puts mental and physical wellbeing at the centre of what we do.

"There are not many other places like us in Weymouth and we aim to be an inclusive space where anybody can come in and feel welcome."

Channel View Guest House on Weymouth's seafront has been nominated as finalists in the B&B Guesthouse of the Year category.

Owner, Melaney Noon, said: "We are very excited to be finalists this year after two crazy summers.

"We are very honoured to be finalists in the same category as St John's Guesthouse who are our neighbours and dear friends.

"I feel honoured because I know that everybody who works in this industry in Dorset, do so to an incredibly high standard. I have been thrilled with all the amazing feedback we get here - it's been our best summers of all time."

Amanda Park, Tourism Development Manager of Visit Dorset, said: “We are delighted to support the awards which celebrate the variety and quality of tourism businesses across Dorset and showcase their hard work and achievements! As sponsor of the New Business category it is fantastic to see the industry continue to grow and develop despite the difficulties of the last two years. Congratulations to all the finalists and good luck!”

Awards organizer Robin Barker of Services for Tourism added: “Despite everything that has been thrown at them, the awards once again demonstrate the quality, innovation and resilience of leading tourism businesses. Many Congratulations to you all.”

Finalists across the county said they were 'honoured to hear that they had been nominated for the awards

 

Here is a full list of the finalists and commended (in alphabetical order) for the 2021/22 Dorset Tourism Awards:

ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE TOURISM AWARD sponsored by Bournemouth University

Finalists

• To be announced at the Awards Event

APPRENTICESHIP SPECIAL AWARD sponsored by NFU Mutual Wessex

Finalists

• To be announced at the Awards Event

B&B AND GUESTHOUSE OF THE YEAR sponsored by Goadsby

Finalists

• St John’s Guest House, Weymouth, stjohnsguesthouse.co.uk @Fishersdream

• Channel View Guesthouse, Weymouth channelviewweymouth.co.uk

BUSINESS EVENTS & WEDDING VENUE OF THE YEAR sponsored by Furleigh Estate

Finalists

• Highcliffe Castle, Christchurch, highcliffecastle.co.uk @HighcliffeC

• Marsham Court Hotel, Bournemouth, marshamcourthotel.co.uk @MarshamCourt

CAFÉ/TEAROOM OF THE YEAR sponsored by Clipper, clipper-teas.com

Finalists

• EBIKE Café @ Deheers, Weymouth, ebikecafe.co.uk

• Picnic Park Deli, Bournemouth picnicparkdeli.com, @picnicparkdeli

• Tangerine Café & Gallery, Beaminster, tangerinecafe.co.uk, @TangerineCafe1

Commended

• Pause Cat Café, Bournemouth, pausecatcafe.co.uk, @PauseCatCafe

CAMPING & CARAVANNING PARK OF THE YEAR sponsored by Anytime Booking

Finalists

• Higher Moor Farm Campsite, Weymouth, highermoorfarm.co.uk, @HigherMoorFarm

• Monkton Wyld Holiday Park, Charmouth, monktonwyld.co.uk, @Monkton_Wyld

• South Lytchett Manor Caravan and Camping Park, Dorchester, http://www.southlytchettmanor.co.uk, @campsitedorset

CASUAL DINING & RESTAURANT AWARD sponsored by Furleigh Estate

Finalists

• Nicetta, Weymouth, nicetta.co.uk

• Shalims Indian Restaurant, Weymouth, shalimsbaltihouse.co.uk, @ShalimsBalti

• The Station Kitchen, Bridport, thestationkitchen.co.uk @StationKitchen

DOG FRIENDLY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Pear Marketing

Finalists

• Burnbake Campsite and Forest Lodges, Corfe Castle, burnbake.com, @burnbake_dorset

• Marsham Court Hotel, Bournemouth, marshamcourthotel.co.uk, @MarshamCourt

Commended

• Polygon Pets Ltd, Poole, polygonpets.com

ETHICAL, RESPONSIBLE & SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AWARD sponsored by Bournemouth Water

Finalists

• Dorset Forest Garden Glamping, Beaminster, dorsetforestgardenglamping.co.uk

• West Bay Discovery Centre, Bridport, westbaydiscoverycentre.org.uk, @WestBayDC

Commended

• Naked Coffee, Bournemouth, nakedcoffee.co, @nakedcoffeeuk

EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR (ACTIVE OR LEARNING) sponsored by Saffery Champness

Finalists

• All Hallows’ Farmhouse Cookery School, Wimborne St Giles, allhallowsfarmhouse.co.uk

• Jurassic Coast Guides, Milborne St Andrew, jurassiccoastguides.co.uk, @jurassicguides

• Shore Campers – Campervan Hire, Bournemouth, shorecampers.co.uk @ShoreCampers

GLAMPING BUSINESS OF THE YEAR

Finalists

• At Goathill Farm, Sherborne, atgoathillfarm.co.uk

• Dorset Forest Garden Glamping, Beaminster, dorsetforestgardenglamping.co.uk

• The Yurt at Hollands Farmhouse, Dorchester, hollandsfarmhouse.co.uk

HOLIDAY PARK OF THE YEAR sponsored by Tozers

Finalists

• Golden Cap Holiday Park, Chideock, wdlh.co.uk/holiday-parks/golden-cap, @WDLH

• Highlands End Holiday Park, Bridport, wdlh.co.uk/holiday-parks/highlands-end, @WDLH

• Waterside Holiday Park & Spa, Weymouth, watersideholidaygroup.co.uk/our-holiday-parks/waterside, @watersidedorset

Commended

• Durdle Door Holiday Park, Lulworth, durdledoor.co.uk

LARGE HOTEL OF THE YEAR sponsored by Hotel Perfect

Finalists

• Holiday Inn Bournemouth, hibournemouth.co.uk, @HolidayInnBMTH

• Marsham Court Hotel, Bournemouth, marshamcourthotel.co.uk, @MarshamCourt

• RNLI College, Poole, rnli.org/rnli-college, @RNLI

Commended

• Moonfleet Manor Hotel, Weymouth, moonfleetmanorhotel.co.uk

LARGE VISITOR ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR sponsored by Love To Visit

Finalists

• Dorset Museum, Dorchester, dorsetmuseum.org, @DorsetMuseum

• Moors Valley Country Park and Forest, Ashley Forest, moors-valley.co.uk, @moorsvalley

Commended

• Adventure Wonderland, Christchurch, adventurewonderland.co.uk, @wonderlandparks

NEW TOURISM BUSINESS AWARD sponsored by Visit Dorset

Finalists

• At Goathill Farm, Sherborne, atgoathillfarm.co.uk

• Carey’s Secret Garden, Wareham, careyssecretgarden.co.uk, @CareysSecret

• The King’s Arms, Dorchester, thekingsarmsdorchester.com, @thekingsarms_so

Commended

• Apex Expeditions, Poundbury, apexexpeds.com/go-discover-tours-adventure-holidays/uk

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO DORSET TOURISM sponsored by Darren Northeast PR

• To be announced at the Awards Event

PUB OF THE YEAR, sponsored by Dorset Food & Drink

Finalists

• The Acorn Inn, Evershot, acorn-inn.co.uk, @Acorn_Inn

• The Cross Keys, Sherborne, thecrosskeyssherborne.com, @crosskeyssherb

• The Grosvenor Arms, Shaftesbury, grosvenorarms.co.uk, @GrosvenorDorset

RESILIENCE AND INNOVATION AWARD sponsored by Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Tourism

Finalists

• Sculpture by the Lakes, Pallington, sculpturebythelakes.co.uk, @SculptureLakes

• Shore Campers – Campervan Hire, Bournemouth, shorecampers.co.uk, @ShoreCampers

• Weymouth Bay RIB Charter, Weymouth, weymouthbayribcharters.co.uk

SELF CATERING ACCOMMODATION OF THE YEAR sponsored by Touch Stay

Finalists

• Frog by the Sea, Chideock, frogbythesea.co.uk

• Greenwood Grange Holidays, Dorchester, greenwoodgrange.co.uk, @GreenwoodGrang1

• Spring Cottage, Wareham, lulworth.com/stay/spring-cottage, @LulworthEstate

SMALL HOTEL OF THE YEAR sponsored by Clockwork Marketing

Finalists

• The Grange at Oborne, Sherborne, thegrange.co.uk, @GrangeatOborne

• The Grosvenor Arms, Shaftesbury, grosvenorarms.co.uk, @GrosvenorDorset

• The PIG-on the Beach, Studland, thepighotel.com/on-the-beach, @The_PIG_Hotel

SMALL VISITOR ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR sponsored by Resort Dorset

Finalists

• Nothe Fort, Weymouth, nothefort.org.uk, @NotheFort

• Sculpture by the Lakes, Pallington, sculpturebythelakes.co.uk, @SculptureLakes

• West Bay Discovery Centre, Bridport, westbaydiscoverycentre.org.uk, @WestBayDC

Commended

• Bridport Museum Trust, Bridport, bridportmuseum.co.uk, @BridportMuseum

TOURISM EVENT / FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR sponsored by Dorset Magazine

Finalists

• To be announced at the Awards Event

UNSUNG HERO AWARD sponsored by Sculpture by the Lakes

Finalists

• Christine Hughes, Moors Valley Country Park, moors-valley.co.uk, @moorsvalley

• Mick Callaghan, Bournemouth Electric Club, Bournemouth, bournemouthelectricclub.co.uk

VISITOR INFORMATION SERVICE OF THE YEAR sponsored by Yellow Buses

Finalists

• To be announced at the Awards Event

WINNER OF WINNERS sponsored by Dorset LEP

• To be announced at the Awards Event