Cumbrian Venues Shortlisted For Prestigious National Hotel Awards
Three Cumbrian hospitality names have secured national recognition, with venues and a chef shortlisted across several Hotel Catey Awards categories.
The Hotel Catey Awards celebrate people and properties that make an outstanding contribution to the UK hotel industry. The awards are particularly focused on recognising achievement within the hospitality sector, with nominees selected by their industry peers. This year’s shortlist includes several Cumbrian representatives, giving businesses from across the county the opportunity to gain national recognition alongside hospitality organisations and professionals from elsewhere in the UK.
Pentonbridge Inn, located north of Carlisle, has been named a finalist for Sustainable Hotel of the Year. The nomination recognises the business in a category focused on sustainability within the hotel industry, following work carried out across the operation. The venue is also represented in another category, with its head chef Chris Archer shortlisted for Hotel Chef of the Year for establishments with fewer than 250 covers.
The double shortlisting means Pentonbridge Inn will be represented in two separate categories when the winners are announced later this year. Archer is among chefs from across the UK competing for recognition in his category, while the inn itself is being considered for its approach to sustainability. The nominations place both the property and its culinary team among the finalists selected for this year’s national awards.
Archer said the chef nomination provides an opportunity to highlight the work being carried out at Pentonbridge Inn. He also stressed that the recognition extends beyond individual achievements, pointing to the contribution made by the entire team. His comments highlighted the combined efforts of front of house staff, chefs, housekeeping workers, gardeners and management, with each area playing a role in the operation and overall experience delivered by the venue.
The head chef said the shortlisting was therefore recognition for everyone involved in making Pentonbridge Inn what it is. His comments placed particular emphasis on teamwork rather than presenting the nomination as an individual achievement. The award recognition follows the collective work of staff across different parts of the business, reflecting the range of roles involved in running a hospitality property and maintaining its standards throughout the year.
Pentonbridge Inn’s director of operations Kim Capstick described the two nominations as significant recognition for the business and its staff. She said the team was looking forward to attending the ceremony in London and celebrating alongside fellow finalists and hospitality colleagues. The shortlistings provide an opportunity for the Cumbrian business to showcase its approach to both sustainability and food, while also recognising the work of its employees.
Sustainability has been described by Capstick as a central part of the business from the outset. Work highlighted in connection with the nomination includes growing and nurturing produce, working with local producers, recycling and methods of generating green energy. The approach also extends to the way the team operates, with the business seeking to reduce its environmental impact and contribute to the protection of the surrounding environment for future generations.
The Sustainable Hotel of the Year nomination therefore reflects a number of different areas of the inn’s operation rather than one isolated initiative. Its work with local producers, approach to its own produce, recycling measures and green energy generation have all formed part of the wider sustainability focus. The recognition comes at national level, giving the business an opportunity to have those efforts considered alongside other hospitality properties operating across the UK.
Archer’s separate nomination also provides recognition for the culinary side of Pentonbridge Inn. His Hotel Chef of the Year category is specifically for venues with fewer than 250 covers, placing the Cumbrian chef among professionals working in similarly sized hospitality establishments. Capstick said the nomination was rewarding for Archer and the wider team, noting that he had continued with his work day after day before receiving recognition from his peers through the awards process.
Another Cumbrian hospitality organisation included on the shortlist is Lake District Country Hotels. The group, which operates the Cragwood Hotel, Merewood Country House and Briery Wood Hotel in Windermere, has been named a finalist in the People Team of the Year category. The nomination gives the Windermere based hotel group representation in the national awards alongside the two categories involving Pentonbridge Inn and its head chef.
The inclusion of Lake District Country Hotels means three individual Cumbrian hotel properties operated by the group are represented through a single People Team of the Year nomination. Cragwood Hotel, Merewood Country House and Briery Wood Hotel are all based in Windermere, making the shortlist significant for the wider Lake District hospitality sector. The recognition adds another Cumbrian presence to an awards programme covering the UK hotel industry.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony at London’s Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel on November 23. Representatives from the shortlisted Cumbrian businesses are expected to attend alongside finalists from across the UK. The ceremony will determine which shortlisted properties, teams and individuals receive awards in their respective categories, with Pentonbridge Inn represented in two categories and Lake District Country Hotels appearing in the People Team of the Year category.
For the Cumbrian hospitality sector, the shortlist provides national exposure for businesses working across accommodation, food, sustainability and staff development. The nominations cover different aspects of hotel operations, from environmental practices and culinary work to the people responsible for delivering services across several properties. The final results will be announced in London in November, when the Cumbrian finalists will find out whether their nominations progress to awards.
The recognition also highlights the range of hospitality operations represented across Cumbria, from Pentonbridge Inn north of Carlisle to the Lake District Country Hotels properties around Windermere. Both businesses will now prepare for the November ceremony, with Pentonbridge Inn appearing in two categories and Chris Archer receiving an individual chef nomination. The national event will bring the shortlisted businesses together with their industry peers for the final stage of this year’s awards.
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