Heroes All: Beautiful South Awards
Hampshire Fare is celebrating receiving two Awards at this year’s Beautiful South Awards 2020/2021: Bronze for Hampshire Food Festival and Unsung Hero for Tracy Nash, Commercial Manager.
Run by Tourism South East in partnership with Services for Tourism Ltd, the Awards recognised achievements in the hospitality and tourism industry over the past year, and the difficult circumstances businesses had to overcome. Determined to support the fantastic hospitality and tourism businesses operating throughout the region in these unprecedented times, this year’s Beautiful South Awards 2020/2021 were held virtually for the first time.
Fran Downton, Chief Executive of Tourism South East, introduced the day-long Awards presentation, saying: “We considered cancelling, but your entries, showcasing your creativity and determination, impelled us to make these Awards happen! We are sitting among the best in the region!”
Hampshire Fare, like other businesses across the region, dressed up for the occasion. The event was hailed a resounding success with 63 businesses and tourism professionals awarded Gold, Silver, Bronze or Commendation. In a notable change, this year judges elected to award the Unsung Hero title to all nominees in the category. This was in acknowledgement of the significant contribution and achievements of each candidate. Tracy Nash, Commercial Manager, Hampshire Fare, was named Unsung Hero in recognition of her work initiating the ground-breaking ‘Stay Loyal Stay Local’ campaign and, more recently, her role in encouraging the next generation of chefs as part of a ‘Future of Hospitality’ programme.
Tracy Nash commented about her Award: “This Award is for all the members we work with; they are all heroes! Our 'Stay Loyal Stay Local campaign' is still going strong and has made a significant difference to our local communities.”
Hampshire Fare also collected Bronze for the hugely ambitious Hampshire Food Festival 2019, which was launched at a special event held at London’s Borough Market (pictured, with thanks to The Electric Eye, in a pre-pandemic era). Other Hampshire Fare members enjoying success included The Purefoy Arms, picking up Silver for Pub of the Year and Wallops Wood who were awarded Silver in the Ethical, Responsible & Sustainable Tourism category as well as their Estate Maintenance Manager Peter Foster being named an Unsung Hero after 40 years working for the business.
Fran Downton, finished, “Congratulations to all our finalists. Achieving excellence is not easy, particularly in the year we have just navigated. All the finalists can be extremely proud of what they have achieved. I was blown away by the quality, positivity, and innovation of the tourism businesses we have across the South East.”
Andrew Mosley, headline sponsor, The Grand Brighton, added “Huge congratulations to all of the winners and nominees, we’re sure these awards are even sweeter after a year of such highs and lows. It’s a pleasure to be part of such a positive celebration amongst many friends and colleagues within the hospitality industry. Here’s to 2021 and continuing to support our industry, celebrate successes, and help each other bounce back bigger and better than ever.”
Launch of Hampshire Food Festival 2019 at London's Borough Market
