Awards Shortlist Announcement To Members

BEST MARKETING CAMPAIGN SPONSORED BY iKnow UK

• We asked entrants to demonstrate how they sell their business • To evidence what marketing activities have helped in bringing people through their door ... • And what caught people’s imagination and took off beyond your wildest expectations

Battlefield Live, Llanteg Plas Hyfryd, Narberth Clydey Cottages, Boncath

GREENEST ACHIEVEMENT SPONSORED BY FS4B

• We asked entrants to demonstrate what their business has done to care for the natural world, enrich people’s lives from having a good quality environment, and/or promote sustainable use.

• To demonstrate to what degree does awareness, understanding and care for the natural heritage of Pembrokeshire extend into the operations, staff training and planning of the business.

The Druidstone Trellyn Woodland Campsite, nr. Abercastle Really Wild Food Festival, St Davids

Exciting New Business / Owner Sponsored By: Positive IT

HAD A HUGE NUMBER OF ENTRIES IN THIS CATEGORY. This category had the largest number of entries, which is testament to the entrepreneurial spirit of Pembrokeshire's businesses. Despite constant media attention to the recession and economic downturn the tourism industry is rising to the challenge, investing, developing and taking risks". This award recognises new businesses or owners established within the last 3 years

• we wanted to know about their vision, main achievements, how problems had been overcome and long term business aims. • One of the main criteria we were looking for were how they differentiated their business from the competition and how they planned to stay ahead.

Manor Park, Tenby Stoney Bridge, Saundersfoot Walk a Long Way (operates throughout Pembs) Carreg Restaurant, Café Bar and Courtyard, Narberth Battlefield Live, Llanteg

Best Supplier Sponsored By: Folly Farm

• This award recognises the importance and value that the tourism industry places on its supply chain. • We were looking for a Company which provides other businesses within the tourism sector with the ultimate in customer service, deliverying beyond expectations and providing that extra personal touch. •

Modern Print, Pembroke Dock Bethesda Meats, Narberth Linda Hunt, Meigan Design (operates thro Pembrokeshire)

Inspirational People Development Sponsored By: Nia Marshall Human Resources and Landsker Business Centre

• We asked businesses to show us how their companies had achieved success by developing the skills of its staff, with an emphasis on businesses which have enhanced the overall sense of place through appropriate staff development.

Raul Speek Gallery, Solva Ivybridge Spa, Goodwick Whitehall Lodge, East Williamston

Best Serviced Accommodation Sponsored By: npower

Entrants were asked to demonstrate on going excellence including investment to the improvement of facilities, and staff development in the puruit of quality awards such as Welcome Host/Croeso Cynnes.

Looking for a warm Welsh welcome, sense of place, and the exceptional pursuit of meeting guests needs.

The on site judging process will expect to see comprehensive visitor information, use of personal recommendation and evidence of standards being achieved through guest comments and letters.

And, finally, meals of the highest quality, using fresh, seasonal, local or homemade produce.

HOTLY CONTESTED, HIGH QUALITY ENTRIES WITH 4 SHORTLISTED: Ty Rhosyn, Camrose Ferryboat Inn, Fishguard,

Elm Grove Country House, St Florence

Stoney Bridge, Saundersfoot

Best Non-Serviced Accommodation Sponsored By: The Retreats Group • This category was open to individual* self-catering properties in Pembrokeshire. • Shortlisting placed a high emphasis on the overall standard and comfort of accommodation as well as the range of equipment and facilities provided and importantly, the level of cleanliness. • Again the final judging will be looking to support written entries that a warm welcome to guests and lots of information about the area is given on arrival. • Where the property was part of a complex, one individual property had to be entered from the site for the purpose of the Awards.

Clydey Cottages, Boncath East Jordeston Cottages, St Florence Moray Villa, Tenby

Best Holiday Park Sponsored By: Lowless Commercial

• Open to caravan parks and camp sites. • Emphasis has been placed on the overall standard and comfort of accommodation as well as the range of equipment and facilities provided – and importantly – the level of cleanliness. • In the case of touring and camping pitches the on site judging will consider the quality of pitch, including layout, spacing and level of services provided. • Entrants needed to demonstrate how they

provide a warm

welcome to guests and that all relevant information regarding the site and the area is given on arrival. The character and location of the site has been taken into considerion. • Each site should be inspected and graded by Visit Wales.

Swallow Tree Gardens, Saundersfoot Stone Pitt Caravan Park, Begelly Manorbier Country Park

Finest Pembrokeshire Breakfast Sponsored By: PCC

• We wanted to know what made the entrants breakfast different to the rest, and what makes it stand out as a Pembrokeshire breakfast? • A much loved category for obvious reasons as the judges will be looking for the reasoning for the locally sourced products as well as presentation and method of cooking the breakfast. • How the breakfast is interpreted to visitors, and how do those businesses promote not only local product but also a sense of place through the breakfast provided. • Judges will have to eat their way through three breakfasts at the following shortlisted locations:

Stoneybridge, Saundersfoot

Cuffern Manor, Roch

The Paddock, Lower Haythog, Spittal

Finest Chef / Cook Sponsored By: Andrew Rees and Sons, Butchers, Narberth

• This category was open to chefs/cooks from the Pub, Hotel, B & B, Guest House, Restaurant, or Café sector within Pembrokeshire. • They

were asked to devise a three-course meal with locally

sourced ingredients (30m radius), for example those with the Pembrokeshire Produce Mark, including

some ingredients from

the wild (wild includes anything foraged from hedgerow, field, river, sea). •

Finalists will be required to take part in a cook-off at the Really Wild Festival Sunday 6th September in St Davids where the judge will take into account taste, presentation and local sourcing, cost, and appropriateness to their establishment. Shortlisted entrants will be cooking the main course and dessert and required to plate up one cover for judging. The winner will be announced at the Awards night on 16th October.

The Carreg : Chef Jethro Lawrence Cwtch, St Davids : Chef: Andrew Holcroft The Stackpole Inn : Cook Tom Hunt

Best Water-based Experience Award Sponsored By: Pear Media

• As Britain’s only Coastal National Park, it was an opportunity to celebrate the water borne activities which allow the visitor access to some stunning scenery and a very different perspective on Pembrokeshire’scoastline. • This award was open to any tourism organisation offering a visitor experience in which water is a key ingredient. • Whilst this may feature any of a wide range of water-based activities including boat trips, sailing, diving, fishing, windsurfing, canoeing or water-bird watching, and could be either inland or off-shore. Innovative ideas are very welcome but more traditional activities are equally valid, what really counts is the care that is taken to ensure visitor enjoyment.

Celtic Quest Coasteering (various locations within Pembrokeshire) Big Blue Kitesurfing, Newgale Broadside Boat Charter, based at Dale

Premier Event Sponsored By: Chevron

• We are looking for the event that stands ahead of the rest in terms of a visitor experience, bringing people into the County. • Details of the key objectives, for example extending the traditional tourist season, evidence of market research, marketing stragtegies and pre and post event success in terms of visitor numbers, visitor spend and essentially visitor feedback.

Pembrokeshire Fish Week Pembrokeshire Triathlon Really Wild Food Festival

Premier Family Day Out Sponsored By: Stena Line

• Which

venue

provides

the

ultimate

in

family

entertainment. Does it cater for all the families needs? Why does it stand out as the best day out for all the family? • Evidence of a warm, friendly and welcoming experience for the visitor, easy of access, range of activities, and most importantly cleanliness. • Quality of visitor information to interpret the product(s) e.g. exhibits - Quality assurance schemes/evidence of good practice (e.g. VAQAS accreditation)

Clerkenhill Folly Farm Heatherton

Unsung Hero Sponsored By: Radio Pembrokeshire

• This award is aimed at an individual who is always willing to go the extra mile. • Recognising the invaluable contribution made by someone to improve the visitor experience going beyond the call of duty. • It was about those people who certainly don’t court the spotlight, and indeed are seldom ever in it, was open to everyone in the workplace, regardless of their position. THESE WERE ALL RECEIVED NOMINATIONS

Jon Everett, Stoney Bridge Guest House NOMINATED BY HIS WIFE ALISON, she writes “Our business is about partnership, but the awards which we have won to date are mainly for food, which is where I have been in the limelight. Jon’s contribution to the business is invaluable .. he does most of the cleaning, ironing and shopping for the guest house. Carries out all of the front of house duties, to an exception standard, and what makes him different is his attitude. Jon definitely goes that extra mile to ensure that our guests have the best Pembrokeshire experience they can”.

Denise Marriott, Newgale YMCA Outdoor Education Centre NOMINATED BY MATT HEALEY, MANAGER. Denise is the Head of Activities, not only is Denise a consummate profefsssion and highly skilled practitioner she also brings to our programmes a deeply caring approach, valuing not only clients but other employees. Denise employs a theraputic approach to outdoor eduction which is unrivalled in my 15 plus years of management experience in outdoor eduction and

youth work. Denise deals with young people who often have serious issues to deal with in their personal lives. I have a tremendous amount of evidence provided by our clients that directly reflect the genuinely life changing experiences they have had through contact with Denise as a professional. I am nominating Denise not just as a valued member of staff but as a positive role model for the outdoor adventure sector in Pembrokeshire and as a guiding light for others in the industry to aspire to.”

RNLI Lifeguards, Tenby South Beach on Sat 25th July – Adam Pitman, Jon Johnston and Coral Lewis Coastguard Sector Manager Dave Miller said: ‘The three RNLI lifeguards did a superb job today. If not for their fast response times and the methods they used at the scene, lives would have been lost.’ RNLI lifeguards patrolling Tenby South beach in Pembrokeshire rescued a group of 40 people when the sandbank they were walking on shifted at 4pm on Saturday, 25 July. The group of 36 children and 4 adults were on the narrow sandbank when the tides changed, causing the entire group to immediately become out of their depth. At the time of the incident, the group was making its way back to the shore after receiving a warning from one of the lifeguards. Lifeguards Adam Pitman and Jon Johnston entered the water with rescue boards and tubes, and brought the individuals safely to shore. Lifeguard Coral Lewis, who was also on patrol at the time, radioed the Coastguard. The lifeguards performed first aid on two casualties. Air ambulance paramedics and two land ambulance teams were also at the scene.