Cumbria Award Winners

Cumbria Tourism Awards 2022

2022 has been a momentous year for us.  Back in March we entered Dufton Barn Holidays into the Cumbria Tourism Awards for 2022 and were absolutely delighted to be short-listed for Self-Catering Accommodation 2022.  It is always a highly competitive category due to the variety of accommodation available across Cumbria and so it was a real privilege to be one of four businesses up for the award.

Following the judge visit in April, where our business was scrutinised from top to bottom, we then had to wait for the prestigious black-tie event at the Castle Green Hotel in Kendal on the 6th July.  After the last couple of years it was great fun to dress up in black tie and ball gown and meet up with all the other high quality competitors across 15 different Tourism categories.  A really supportive group of people at the top of their professional game, and a spectacular occasion for all present after 3 years absence due to Covid.

It is fair to say that you enter an award in hope rather than with expectation, and so we were absolutely stunned to hear our name called out as winners in our category.  It is without doubt the pinnacle of our professional hospitality career and we were delighted to win as representatives of the beautiful Eden Valley, and made even more special as the award was sponsored by Out of Eden.  It is still sinking in a month later, and we will be proud of this achievement for years to come.

We started out on this journey in October 2017 when we started the construction of Shepherds View and we have always made decisions with our guest at the heart of what we do.  We have met many lovely guests along the way, many of whom have returned several times to enjoy what Shepherds View, Dufton, and the Eden Valley have to offer.  In many ways it is through their support and enjoyment, and ultimately their reviews of their experience with us, that has given us the confidence in what we do – and this is absolutely the icing on the cake.