Tourist trade in focus
NINE superb Southport businesses were celebrated as the 2023 Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards took place.
There were three big Southport winners at the glittering ceremony, delivered by Growth Platform – Liverpool City Region Growth Company at Liverpool Cathedral.
Southport Bijou Cinema on Post Office Avenue won the Hidden Gem Award, in the only category voted for by the public.
Sunnyside Guest House on Bath Street in Southport – which was shortlisted for an incredible four awards – won the B&B and Guest House of the Year Award.
It was the second year in a row Sunnyside has won the award, sponsored by Lu Ban Restaurant.
The Eden Warehouse on West Street won the Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year category.
It was an impressive performance by Southport venues in a variety of categories and sectors, with local venues taking up four of the 10 Hidden Gem shortlisted spots.
Also celebrated were: Silcock’s Carousel on the Promenade; Cranberry’s
Coffee Shop in Cambridge Walks; and Tik Taco restaurant on Coronation Walk.
The Windmill on Seabank Road and The Guelder Rose on Marine Drive were both finalists in the Pub Of The Year category.
Braemer Southport was shortlisted in the B&B and Guest House of the Year category.
It shows the huge quality of tourism businesses in Southport.
Anthony and Larissa Duffey, owners of the Sunnyside Guest House in Southport, said: “We are delighted to have won B&B of the year at the Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards again this year.
“The standard is always very high and this year was no exception. The organisers received a large number of applications, so to be shortlisted was a real honour and to win for a second year exceeds all our expectations.
“This is a very difficult award to win with several stages. We had a written application; judges visit and interview. This was the icing on the cake for us.
“We now go forward to the national
Visit England Awards in June.”
Silcock’s Operations Manager Serena Silcock-Prince said: “It was a wonderful night! The venue and company were fantastic.
“We were on a table with Escape Rooms Liverpool who won. We felt like we were winners just being there!
“Huge congratulations to Southport Bijou Cinema, a well deserved winner, and wonderful that Southport won!”
Anthony Greenland, owner of the Tik Taco Mexican restaurant on Coronation Walk in Southport, said: “I would like to say well done to Bijou Cinema on winning the Hidden Gem Award!
“All of us from Tik Taco had a fantastic night and we look forward to seeing what else is around the corner for us all.”
Neil Walsh, landlord of The Windmill pub in Southport, said: “It was a lovely night, with good food and it was great to have many businesses in Southport honoured as finalists, with us the Guelder Rose, Tik Taco, Sunnyside etc.
“More businesses from Southport are appearing in a mainly Liverpool city dominated awards which is great.”
Southport Flower Show and Victoria Park Events General Manager Alan Adams was among guests at the event. He said: “It was a fantastic night for our wonderful town with three winners at the Liverpool City region Tourism Awards in Sunnyside Bed and Breakfast, Eden Warehouse and the brilliant Bijou Cinema winning the Hidden Gem award.
“We also had lots of very worthy nominees representing our town and I’m immensely proud of all of them.
“To see our town represented within the Liverpool City Region is amazing. This is just the start, in the next few years we will be the envy of the whole region!”
Elsewhere in the region, double winners on the night were The National Trust and National Museums Liverpool (NML). The National Trust picked up both Large Visitor Attraction of the Year for Speke Hall, and Experience of the Year for The Beatles’ Childhood Homes tour. The Museum of Liverpool won Business Events Venue of the Year.
Hosted by NML, Neve Sutton, won the award for Tourism Young Person of the Year.
Other winners on the night included Liverpool Gin Distillery for Pub of the Year, Small Attraction of the Year went to the British Music Experience and Antonio’s Bar & Grill, based in Prescot won Restaurant of the Year.
For the second year running Titanic picked up the best hotel, with Escape Live Liverpool winning New Tourism Business of the Year.
The Outstanding Contribution Award went to Paul Beesley – who has been part of Liverpool’s tourism scene for 40 years, working in both the business and leisure sides. He has chaired committees, represented the city region at trade shows, and is the only individual tour guide in the UK to hold the Visit England ‘Quality Assured Tour’ accreditation. He is also a BBC broadcaster, creates podcasts and blogs – often about his passion for The Beatles.
The evening was hosted by Sam Quek MBE – former England hockey player and TV broadcaster, and guests were welcomed with a drinks reception sponsored by Virgin Experience Days.