Tag Archives: award

In January 2024, VisitEngland revealed our founding guide, Emily Williamson as one of 10 superstars shortlisted in its annual search to find the unsung hero of England’s tourism industry. Read the official press release here. 

The competition seeks out champions who provide unforgettable visitor experiences, as well as showcasing the variety and quality of England’s tourism offer and destinations. VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes described the competition as “recognising those individuals who go the extra mile to make visitor experiences truly special.”

Our founder, Emily was shortlisted as a Tourism Superstar finalist for her vast knowledge and experience in hospitality and tourism in the Peak District.

VisitEngland describes how Emily “created the Peak District’s first dedicated pub tour company to help tourists experience six unique pubs within the region. The tours highlight the importance of pub culture to the Peak District. Pub Tours has been driving business to pubs in the region supporting England’s pub culture.”

Pub culture is something we are incredibly passionate about. Our tours give an insight into pubs as community hubs. We are dedicated to the authenticity of each pub we visit and help people understand the important role pubs have played in British culture throughout history.

The overall winner of Tourism Superstar is decided by a public vote. Testament to our long lasting relationships with our stakeholders, we were so touched that so many of our pubs supported us in our efforts to urge people to vote. Some pubs gave out leaflets and we were incredibly grateful to Rob Hattersley at Longbow for writing to his mailing list.

We enjoyed significant support from Visit Peak District & Derbyshire who posted about us on their social media channels.

We also had some really positive media coverage. Emily spoke to Twiggy on BBC Radio Derby – he was very keen to join us on a Pub Tour! Derbyshire Times wrote a lovely piece about us, and we are very thankful for the support received from Let’s Go Peak District and Lovely Local Indie.

CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) also supported our efforts and we are very grateful for their support.

Voting culminated at the end of English Tourism Week, and we were exceptionally pleased to achieve a podium position.

Congratulations to Pete Chambers from the Coventry Music Museum who won the accolade and to Robert Dennis Brown from the Dalby Forest Cycle Hub in the North York Moors who came second.

Being recognised at a national level for the work that we do is incredibly exciting, and we firmly hope this helps our mission to support Peak District pubs.

Back in November we were excited to receive an email informing us that we had been shortlisted for a 2024 Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby Tourism Award in not one, but two categories! We were up for ‘New Tourism Business of the Year’ and ‘Experience of the Year’.

It felt exhilarating for our hard work and commitment to supporting rural pubs to be recognised in these prestigious awards designed to showcase excellence in the hospitality sector.

At Pub Tours we offer a highly unique, VIP experience for guests to taste, experience and be educated on the authenticity, history and culture of Peak District pubs. Our mission is to keep Peak District pubs alive by driving new business into hidden gems; offering visitors an educational, fun, experience of proper British pubs.

Tourism Awards are designed to showcase excellence and outstanding achievement by recognising the region’s finest visitor economy businesses, and are organised by Visit Peak District & Derbyshire in collaboration with Visit Derby as the region’s official Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP). We are proud supporters of Visit Peak District & Derbyshire and recognise what wonderful work they do in support of the local economy.

The awards are keenly contested. After shortlisting, there is mystery shopping and rigorous judging process by an independent panel of experts.

We pride ourselves on offering exemplary levels of customer service. Our knowledgeable guides offer a fun, informative commentary designed for guests to make treasured memories in the Peak District’s best pubs. People who join us on our tours always tell us what a great time they’ve had, but it was a nail-biting few months in the lead up to the results.

On Thursday 7th March 2024 we got our glad rags on to attend the glittering awards ceremony held in the historic surrounds of the Museum of Making in Derby city centre.

After a drinks reception sponsored by the brilliant White Peak Distillery (whose craft spirits can be enjoyed in many of the pubs we visit on a Pub Tour) we enjoyed a delicious three-course formal dinner. It was wonderful to celebrate our achievements, and those of the sector as a whole.

Finally, it was time for the winners to be announced! We were beyond delighted to achieve a Silver award in New Tourism Business of the Year category and a Bronze Award in the Experience of the Year.

We work extremely hard to help people discover the true nature of Peak District pubs and understand the important role they play in British culture and society. We are passionate about the Peak District, it’s history and heritage and we love showcasing what a real British pub is to the rest of the world.

These two awards recognise our commitment to supporting tourism in the local area and fighting the extinction of the local pub. Thank you to all our hard working staff who made this possible. We would like to extend our warmest wishes and congratulations to all the other finalists.