We’re delighted to say that Sophie Pride has been named the winner of the Outstanding Customer Service Award at the Harrogate Hospitality and Tourism Awards 2017.

Sophie was shortlisted after being recognised by customers for her very hard work and thoughtfulness. She’s fantastic at recognising what people need and doing all she can to provide it – so we weren’t surprised to hear she had won, despite the strong competition.

We had a fantastic night celebrating the best of Harrogate’s hospitality sector. The Harrogate Hospitality and Tourism Awards are a real landmark on the calendar for local businesses.

They celebrate the best of the local hospitality industry, from individual chefs and waiting staff to brilliant teams and events.

Here at William and Victoria, we’re proud to say we’ve been nominated several times across different categories. David was very honoured to win the award for Outstanding Customer Service in 2013, while the following year our longest-serving member of staff, Mike Wood, was named the Unsung Hero after a whopping 25 years with us. Last year Ashley Nichols was shortlisted for the Outstanding Customer Service award, Tony Porneala for Waiter of the Year and Ronnie Grimshaw for Chef of the Year but sadly they lost out on the night.

Every year, Destination Harrogate put on a great event at the Royal Hall: there’s no hiding when you have a room full of chefs, waiting staff, managers and other experts! Simon Cotton and David Ritson, of the Cedar Court and Old Swan hotels respectively, once again made it a fun and inspiring night themed ‘I’m in hospitality, get me out of here’ complete with bushtucker trials!

As much as it’s a cliché, it is always a privilege to be nominated and shortlisted for these awards. Harrogate is a town which relies heavily on hospitality and tourism, so there is a lot of competition from some brilliant local businesses.

Individuals and businesses across the town and the wider district work incredibly hard to maintain the fantastic reputation our area has for offering a great welcome. It really is an honour to be part of that scene and to play a role in helping to put Harrogate on the map as one of the best destinations in the UK.