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07
Oct
Blooming brilliant: Harrogate hospitality group takes home three top awards
The Fat Badger Group recorded a triple success at the Harrogate in Bloom awards last night.
The annual awards recognise organisations and individuals who use flowers to make Harrogate more attractive.
The Fat Badger, whose stunning display of cannas provided a colourful shield to the traffic on Cold Bath Road, won the pubs and restaurants category. It also took home the discretionary trophy for most admired entry overall.
Its sister venue, the Yorkshire Hotel, won the hotels category.
Harrogate in Blom president Pam Grant speaking at the awards.
The Fat Badger and Yorkshire Hotel belong to the Fat Badger Group, which also owns the White Hart Hotel and Pickled Sprout in Harrogate, as well as hospitality venues in York, Whitby and Kirkby Fleetham.
Nick Smith, director of the North of England Horticultural Society who co-hosted the awards, said:
“The sheer spectacle around the Fat Badger has been commented on many times this summer. It shows Harrogate in its best light.”
Managing director Simon Cotton was “absolutely delighted” with the accolades, which he described as “a fantastic recognition of the effort that goes into making our pubs and hotels look their best”.
Mr Cotton added:
We put a lot of emphasis on flowers and planting because we genuinely believe that first impressions matter. Beautiful, well-kept surroundings make people feel welcome and create a sense of pride in our venues and in Harrogate itself. It’s not just about making somewhere look pretty, it’s about creating an environment that people enjoy being in and want to come back to.
There’s obviously a commercial benefit too. Hospitality is all about the experience, and the detail people see before they’ve even walked through the door is part of that experience. We believe investing in our gardens and displays is an investment in our customers and our businesses.
A particular thank you has to go to our head gardener, Goff Edmunds, who puts an enormous amount of hard work and care into making our hotels and pubs look amazing.
Rossett Acre Primary School won the school garden category.
What is Harrogate in Bloom?
Harrogate in Bloom is a voluntary group that represents all those who use flowers to brighten the town, including North Yorkshire Council, Harrogate Business Improvement District, Harrogate Flower Shows, Horticap and the Stray Defence Association.
It also oversees Harrogate’s entries into Yorkshire in Bloom and Britain in Bloom, which are organised each year by the Royal Horticultural Society gardening charity.
Last night’s awards at the Cedar Court Hotel recognised entries in a diverse range of categories ranging from school gardens and care homes to communal grounds.
A full list of winners is below.
An additional award, the Mayor's Trophy, was presented by Harrogate mayor, Councillor Viv Poskitt, to Harrogate in Bloom's Mary Mann.
Harrogate in Bloom president Pam Grant opened the awards by highlighting the importance of flowers to Harrogate’s economic success. Its reputation as a floral town attracts visitors from far and wide.
Judge and co-host Phil Airey, operations manager at Horticap, said: “I know the effort everybody puts into their gardens. It’s a joy to go round and see what the community is doing.”
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