Battlesteads Hotel and Restaurant in Wark, near Hexham, has been named the Best Pub in the North East at the National Pub & Bar Awards.

The accolade was presented to Battlesteads at an awards ceremony on Tuesday 24 May, held at London’s BAFTA theatre. The sustainable hotel and restaurant was previously chosen as the county winner for Northumberland by a judging panel from leading industry magazine Pub & Bar, before being voted as the best in the region.

Entrants to the awards were judged on all aspects of pub hospitality, from perfect service and product range to aesthetic design and entertainment. Battlesteads was chosen for its friendly, welcoming and knowledgeable staff, wide range of local and national cask ales, well-travelled list of sustainable and biodynamic wines and fantastic food featuring home-grown ingredients and locally sourced produce.

Battlesteads beat tough competition from across Northumberland, Durham and Tyne and Wear to walk away with the title of Best Pub in the North East. The award was presented by one of the UK’s leading food and restaurant critics and journalist for The Observer, Jay Rayner.

Speaking after the awards ceremony, owner of Battlesteads Richard Slade said: “When we found out we had been chosen as the county winner for Northumberland, we were absolutely delighted. To then go on to be named the best pub in whole of the North East is a great honour and the whole team is celebrating this fantastic achievement. We are proud to be flying the flag for all of the other brilliant pubs in the North East and we’d like to thank the judges for choosing us as the winner.”

Tristan O’Hana, editor of Pub & Bar magazine said: “This is a brilliant achievement for Battlesteads, and for all our county and regional winner – they can now celebrate the fact that they are the best in their area. It was an absolute pleasure to reward and acknowledge these incredible businesses at what was none other than a celebration of standout hospitality and business practice. This selection of pubs and bars shows just what a fantastic industry the UK on-trade is.”

Battlesteads Hotel and Restaurant in Wark, near Hexham, has been awarded a 2015 TripAdvisor Service Excellence Award for consistently high visitor reviews.

The award, announced on Friday 14 August, puts the Northumberland hotel among the top 10 per cent of businesses listed on TripAdvisor.

Only outstanding hospitality businesses which maintain an overall rating of four or higher, from a high volume of traveller reviews, are eligible for the Service Excellence Award.

This award follows Battlesteads achieving a Platinum level rating in TripAdvisor’s GreenLeaders Programme in 2014, for reaching the highest standard of environmental friendliness and sustainability.

Recent reviews of Battlesteads on TripAdvisor have included comments such as “I am so pleased we chose Battlesteads Hotel, it was lovely. I wish we could have stayed longer, and definitely would return when we get the chance”; “Battlesteads Hotel and Restaurant was an absolute delight” and “I thoroughly recommend a stay at Battlesteads. Excellent value, great food, comfortable rooms, lovely welcoming staff and in a pretty village surrounded by stunning countryside.”

High praise has also been given for Battlesteads Restaurant, with one reviewer saying “the standard of food is excellent, and portrays the professionalism of the chef in the kitchen” and another adding that “dinner in the restaurant was delicious, and good value for money, the choice at breakfast was also very good and the full Northumbrian breakfast was very tasty indeed”.

Richard Slade, owner of Battlesteads said: “We are absolutely thrilled to receive the TripAdvisor Service Excellence Award and to be rated one of the top hotels in the area. We strive to provide a fantastic experience for everyone who stays in our hotel and eco lodges or eats in our restaurant, and we love receiving such positive feedback through TripAdvisor reviews. TripAdvisor is incredibly influential among travellers and receiving this award will help assure guests booking a stay here that they are making the right choice.”

Adding another green feather to its bow Battlesteads Hotel and Restaurant in Wark, near Hexham is delighted to have achieved a Platinum level rating in Tripadvisors new GreenLeader programme.

Developed in partnership with the Carbon Trust, the UK Green Building Council, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the International Tourism Partnership, GreenLeader was launched in the UK and European markets at the beginning of March 2014. The programme helps travellers make greener choices by promoting hotels that have adopted environmentally sustainable practices via their Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum accreditation.

The green practices assessed include:

• Having linen and towel re-use plans
• Tracking energy usage on a regular basis
• Recycling
• Using energy efficient light-bulbs
• Educating staff and guests on green practices

Battlesteads achieved the maximum accreditation from the scheme, with the Platinum award adding to their established green and sustainable hall of fame.

Previous green merits include; Three Star Sustainability Champion status from the Sustainable Restaurant Association (SRA), Considerate Hotel of the Year 2011 from the Considerate Hoteliers and Green Hotel of the Year in the 2011 Hotel Cateys.

Commenting on the new programme and Battlesteads Platinum status, owner Richard Slade says:

"At Battlesteads we constantly look at ways we can extend our environmentally friendly code of ethics and be at the forefront of sustainable tourism. We see more and more visitors looking for hotels with strong environmental credentials, and initiatives such as this help the masses make informed decisions when it comes to choosing where to stay. Over the past years we have introduced a number of energy saving and environmental initiatives to the running of the hotel and pub, and continue to view ourselves as pioneers in sustainable tourism."

Battlesteads pub, hotel and restaurant in Wark, near Hexham in Northumberland, has been declared the UK’s Considerate Hotel of the Year 2010/11 by the Considerate Hoteliers Association (CHA).

The coveted national awards celebrate the best in environmental, sustainable and socially responsible performance and are open to all UK hotels and small accommodation providers.

Beating off competition from nine other UK hotels, including some of the largest and most high end operators and groups, Battlesteads received the CHA’s highest accolade, sponsored by Gilchrist & Soames, for being the best ‘all-rounder’ establishment considered to have succeeded in a wide range of environmental and social initiatives.

The judges commented: “Battlesteads provided an outstanding entry and is a very worthy winner. They have tackled difficult issues such as waste and energy use, and addressed many areas of their business in their mission to improve their sustainability. Their entry described some really innovative approaches – such as channelling waste heat into a polytunnel used to grow crops for the restaurant.
 
“Richard and Dee Slade investigate the sustainability of their suppliers and really promote to their guests what they’re doing by, for example, giving tours of the biomass boiler! They also spread the word to the wider community by, for instance, assisting the local primary school children with their allotment.”
 
Renowned hospitality industry environmental and food safety consultant, CHA Ambassador and leading member of the 2010/11 CHA awards panel of judges, Professor John Forte OBE added: “Of the many worthy contenders for this title, we chose a business that has demonstrated over the past three years a steady progress on sustainable environmental improvements across the board.

“Richard and Dee Slade have recognised that there are many sustainable improvements that still need to be made and have a positive, realistic and achievable programme to work towards achieving their end goals. Personally, I was particularly taken with the element of fun that they have injected into their endeavours and their obvious enthusiasm for what they do and have achieved.”

To mark the achievement, Battlesteads owners Richard and Dee Slade attended a ceremony at The Savoy in London where they received an inscribed Dartington Crystal decanter to add to their impressive collection of prestigious trophies.