Which county businesses make you most welcome?

5:30am Friday 12th February 2010

By Richard Vernalls

THE very best in fine food and good company will be honoured in this year’s Worcestershire Welcome Awards.

Once again, county people can vote for the restaurants, eateries and B&Bs they feel provide the quintessential county experience.

Awards organiser Destination Worcestershire is giving people between now and April to nominate venues who put blood, sweat and tears into making the county a must for visitors with taste.

All readers need do to nominate is see visitworcestershire.org and follow the links, fill in the postal voting form printed here, or text in their entries (see details below).

The winners of each category – newly expanded this year – will go forward to regional awards with a chance of going toe-to-toe with the best across the West Midlands.

The closing date for nominations is midnight on Friday, April 30. The three venues polling highest in each category will be judged by an independent panel who will decide the winner.

Winners will be announced in your Worcester News on Wednesday, June 30, and receive their awards at a ceremony at the Orchard Cafe, Worcester Countryside Centre, in the summer.

The Categories

• A Grand Day Out
Aimed at the best and boldest visitors attractions with examples including the West Midland Safari Park, Severn Valley Railway and Avoncroft Museum of Historic Buildings to the world’s tiniest theatre – the Theatre of Small Convenience, Malvern.

• A Day To Remember
One-day events which draw the crowds offering a grand day out. The Three Counties Show, the Asparagus Festival and Upton Jazz Festival, are just some examples of the county’s successful events.

• Best B&B Breakfast
Rewarding not only the best brekkie but the best of Worcestershire produce. Aimed at those B&Bs that serve up the freshest eggs, sizzling bacon, bangers and bread fresh from the oven and bring customers back time and again.

• Eat & Drink Worcestershire
The award aimed at the pubs and restaurants that have scoured the county for the best local produce and are proud to put it on the menu.

• Hottest Independent Hotel
From small boutique to large country house, Worcestershire has a hotel to suit everyone’s tastes and budgets. The award will go to the one that goes the extra mile to put the county firmly on the tourist map.

• Stunning Self-catering
Venues offering a home away from home when it comes to the best in country cottages, castles or chic retreats.

• Sustainable Tourism Award
With people ever more aware of the fragile planet we all inhabit, which hotels and B&Bs are doing their bit for the environment?

• Outstanding Contribution To Worcestershire Tourism
Aimed at the organisation or person who goes above and beyond the call of duty to promote the county and what it has to offer visitors.

• Top Taxi Driver
Which of the county’s cabbies has the local knowledge and the patter to make your journey the perfect drive?

Last Year's winner: It's all about pride

THE key to success is pride in the produce, according to last year’s winners of the outstanding achievement award.

Felice and Fiorinda Tocchini, who are originally from Italy, are naturalised county culinary experts now, having run the popular Fusion Brasserie at Stoulton, between Worcester and Pershore, since 2004.

In 2009, they bagged the outstanding achievement award and top prize in the Eat and Drink category for their commitment to sourcing the best local produce from the county.

Following that success the couple are now planning to open a new café and bistro, spreading the message of fresh county-sourced produce even further.

Mrs Tocchini said: “We’re from Italy and our culture there was to cook what you could pick from your own garden, so to speak.

“And at the end of the day it’s about having pride in what grows around you.

“We make our own butter and sprinkle a little rock salt on top just to make it a little different.”

With lamb and beef from Hillworth Farm Meats, Longdon, near Upton-upon-Severn, fruit juices from Pershore College and game that has been shot on estates dotted around the county, the menu at Fusion proves the owners practise what they preach.

Felice, who is head chef at the brasserie as well as its owner, is always in demand for his cooking skills and has made several trips to Worcestershire schools and colleges for demonstrations to pass on his know-how.

Mrs Tocchini said: “It’s important to support the producers around you, show what they can do.”