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GOLD Award winners under the Green Tourism Business Scheme
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[NOTE: We've developed a special page for the Fourth Estate, with concise
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HERE to see what the journalist sees...]
 9th December 2011: Being a B&B is good Business
SDBN Member, Dowfold House Bed & Breakfast, of Crook, Weardale, County Durham
has won the accolade of “Best Home Business 2011” at the annual Awards Ceremony
for the South Durham Business Network, held at the Town Hall, Spennymoor on 9th
December 2011.
Said co-owner and breakfast chef, Rupert Richardson, of Dowfold House: “We
are so proud to have won this award. We see it as being not just for us, but for
the high-quality range of local suppliers we have built up over the years.”
For full details, see the press release
HERE
9th October 2011: Dowfold House really IS the Best
I would say
"not another Award", but this really is the BIG one
- Bed &
Breakfast of the Year 2011 at the North East Tourism Awards.
One is exceedingly chuffed, as you can
imagine. We came a lousy 2nd last year, and we thought the competition
this year was even stiffer, so... GREAT.
Said the judges of Dowfold House: “This
four star, gold-rated Victorian house B&B offers an outstanding experience
for visitors from start to finish with spacious and airy rooms, high quality
fittings and furnishings and outstanding customer service”.
27th July 2011: Dowfold House's goes in for electricity generation...
with sixteen photo-voltaic panels on the roof, generating up to 3.76KwH.
We expect to generate up to 2.5 MegaWatts of carbon-free electricity p.a. - and
the electricity company (Scottish Power Green Tariff) now pays US! Almost
anyone with a south-facing roof can do it, so if you want to know more, just
call or email
29th March 2011: Dowfold House's GOLD shines even brighter...
Dowfold House The Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS)
inspected us on 29th March and not only confirmed our GOLD Award from 2 years
ago, but gave us a higher score - 86%, up from 80%. We are of course
delighted, and are aiming for GOLD Plus, once we've installed our photovoltaic
generation system, and upgraded our boiler system from oil to wood pellets -
both schemes are being actively pursued right now.
22nd March 2011: Dowfold House's Brilliant Breakfasts recognised
Dowfold House has picked up, not one, but TWO awards at the Love Food
Brilliant Breakfast Competition for the North Pennine Dales.
FIRST, we won the Best B&B Breakfast in Weardale, Allendale and Derwent
Valley - judged by Bill Oldfield, of Oldfiel d
Restaurant fame.
THEN, we were especially surprised to pick up the Local Food Hero, for
using and promoting local produce. Judge Jilli Cliff described us as:
"an inspiration in sourcing and creativity."
Of course, we're much too modest to disagree with such eminent critics.
Find out more about the contest and the judges at
Love Food.
December 2010: We have seen the future, and the future is... GREAT
Coffee!
Guess who got a shiny (and BRIGHT RED)
coffee machine for Christmas...? It's a really good quality de Longhi
model, and makes excellent espresso, froths the frothiest milk, and is clever
enough to froth the milk at a higher temperature than for making coffee - too
high a temperature "burns" the coffee and makes it bitter; too low and the froth
just, er, isn't. Clearly, we've had to test all the permutations (we do
suffer you know...), and are just working through a dizzy range of different
coffees to find the perfect blend for each occasion. If you have any
favourites, do let us know.
November 2010: AT LAST, we've got around to making our own bread
Given that Rupert used to be a Master Baker (with a "K"...) in his youth,
it's odd that it's taken him so long to get around to adding home-baked bread to
the menu. The real reason? He'd completely forgotten how. As a
baker he never made fewer than 100 loaves at a time - which is EASY. ONE
is almost impossible (says Rupert...). Enter the Panasonic SD257
Breadmaker! It is actually excellent, and we are now churning out
delicious bread - using local Northumbrian wheat, stone-milled in Stamfordham
and Berwick in Northumberland. Jill says she'll never eat shop-bought
bread again. So, most afternoons, arriving guests are regaled with the
scent of fresh-baked bread (we already home bake croissants and pains au
chocolats, so it smells good in the morning too). See our
Suppliers page for more details on the flours we
use.
12th October 2010: Dowfold House WINS at the Regional Tourism Awards FINAL!
Dowfold House has won the SILVER Award for the Best B&B in the North-East, run by
North-East Tourism. Fantastic! Congratulations to our fiendish
competitors, St. Cuthberts, in
Seahouses, who deservedly took GOLD, and to
Springdale House in Redcar, who
took the BRONZE. It was a lovely evening - our table took a whole rash of
awards, including
Killhope Lead
Mine, Cowshill, and Hall Hill Farm,
Lanchester (both GOLD), as well as
Blackthorn Gate Self-catering cottages at Nunthorpe, and the
Barn at Beal (BRONZE), so goodwill (and
other stuff) flowed pretty freely. On the next table, fellow-member of the
Weardale Visitor Network,
Stanhope Tourist
Information Centre at the Durham Dales Centre scooped a splendid SILVER.
I've said it before, but our success is really down to our guests and the GREAT things you have said about us,
online and in our Visitor Book. It
makes all the difference and we are most grateful.
Ummm... if you WANT to see us on video, click
HERE (not for the
faint-hearted...)
September 2010: Dowfold House makes the FINAL!
Well! We've JUST heard that Dowfold House has made the Final for the
competition for the Best B&B in the North-East, run by
North-East Tourism. Fantastic! We'll be
at a smart black-tie Awards Dinner on 12th October (far too excited to eat
anything...) to learn our fate. The winner goes on to represent the
North-East in the National finals early next year. We entered in May,
heard we'd been put on a short-list of 11 in July (out of 77 entrants), when we
were mystery-shopped by a nice lady, and now we've made the TOP THREE! It IS
actually, all down to our guests and the GREAT things you have said about us,
online and in our Visitor Book. It
makes all the difference and we are most grateful. July 2010: We'll take ANYONE here: People, dogs, cats, newts... and now
HORSES!
As of now, we're delighted to be able to offer overnight stabling to anyone
with an equine friend. Our next-door neighbour, Pat, (NEIGH-bour - geddit)?
would be very pleased to offer stabling to anyone with a horse, from around £25/night
(subject to availability). If this is of interest, call us and we'll put
you in touch with Pat, who can arrange what you need.
May 2010: FREE Energy-Saving Bulb
As part of our Green initiative, all guests are offered a FREE energy-saving
light-bulb with our compliments. We’ve been using them for years now, and they
have come a long way since slow warm-ups and glary unfriendly light. They still
use about 5 times less energy than an incandescent bulb, and last for ages.
[they are also getting quite cheap, so it's not THAT big a gift…].
UK-specification bulbs only; no warranty expressed or implied.
April 2010: Dowfold House goes REALLY local on biscuits!
If you thought that getting your biscuits from a local baker's was the ultimate
in supporting local enterprise, think again. Having scoured the world for
biscuits, we have found the perfect partner ... in our own road. The lady
is too shy to be named online, but her
biscuits have finally reached a wider audience than just for her voracious son!
Linda has been making biscuits for, well, longer than she cares to admit, and
they are VERY good - and going fast. ONLY available to Dowfold House
guests - now THAT's exclusive!.
March 2010: Durham County Council FINALLY gets round to recycling plastics
in Crook
AT LAST! Ever since we moved to Crook, we've been pestering the local
authorities to recycle plastics. For us, 'twas the final frontier -
otherwise our landfill waste is minimal, what with composting, recycling, Freegling
(quite legal...), re-using carrier bags until they split their contents over the
car-park, and trying not to buy the stuff in the first place. Indeed, we
had gone as far as getting a private contractor to take our plastics for
recycling. BUT, they went under. We've now been told that, from
April 6th, plastic recycling is going to happen! So, those perennial
guilt-trips - plastic milk cartons from the supermarket - will be
(slightly) less so. We were promised this over a year ago and saved
up over 100 bottles in keen anticipation. Then, cancellation (not
postponement...). With much regret our (precious?) collection went to
landfill. BUT, we're saving up again now!
After much effort, the Weardale Visitors Network, a local band of tourism
businesses, has created a new information resource, specifically covering Weardale
(essentially running from Crook up to the North Pennines). It
features attractions,
activities, where
to stay, where to
eat, key local events
and much more, and is well worth a look. Thanks to Gary
& Hazel Coppack and to Teesdale
Marketing for all their help in creating what is really an
excellent information resource - which continues to grow and develop.
February 2010: Durham Monopoly comes to Dowfold House
I don't know if you've seen them, but you can now get local editions of
Monopoly. There's now a Durham Edition, and we just had to get one.
It plays to the same rules, but replaces boring old Mayfair et al. with local
places and features. It's permanently set up in the Sitting Room, so come
and have a go! (No violence, though; I know Monopoly can excite fierce
passions...)
January 2010: No more snow, just a SPLENDID new drive
At last! the drive is done, and it's GREAT. Mainly gravel, it's been
laid on a special grid, so that the gravel stays on the drive, not on the
carpets. It seems to work well, but early days. What it DOES mean is
no more holes in the drive, and no more puddles, as it's really free
draining. Come and see!
January 2010: The snow has "Driven" us to despair!
We were just having a nice new gravel drive laid, and the men were nearly
finished when the SNOW came. So, we've spent the past three weeks peering
over (snow-covered) mounds of gravel and spoil, and navigating fearfully around
various holes - and my FAVOURITE car is stuck in it's garage, with no way
out. Disaster. We're still open, though, and the drive is usable, if
not (in the least) pretty.
November 2009: THREE Nights for the price of TWO!
For double or twin-room stays of Three nights or more, completed by 31st
March, we are offering a free night! So a three night stay costs just
£125 (down from £185); a four night stay just £185 (down from £245) and so
on. Book early to beat the rush!
October 2009: Now, we're so Green, we're GOLD!
Dowfold House has been awarded a Gold Award for our Bed
& Breakfast business in Crook, County Durham, by the Green Tourism Business
Scheme (GTBS).
As the Assessor put it: “Dowfold House is a Bed &
Breakfast in Crook, excellently located for exploring the Durham Dales and has
achieved a GOLD Green Tourism Award. Much of this continued success is down to
the hard work and enthusiasm shown by the owners. The business scored
consistently well across the Management, Communication, Energy, Water and Waste
sections. Measures of particular note include excellent resource monitoring, a
well displayed visitor charter, an efficient boiler, use of ecological
detergents/ cleaning products, comprehensive recycling collection and good
information on local attractions.”
- To see the full Press Release, click HERE
- To see how Wear Valley Mercury covered the story, click HERE
- To see how the Northern Echo covered the story, click HERE
September 2009: We WIN a SILVER Award!
We have been awarded a Silver Award for our Bed &
Breakfast business in Crook, County Durham. To get this, we had to score an
AVERAGE of 75% in all areas of assessment – and we got 79% - phew!
As the Assessor put it: “Dowfold House continues to
offer high levels of warm hospitality, service and comfortable rooms. It is easy
to understand why there are large numbers of repeat visitors. All are welcome
and made to feel at home. Best wishes for continued success and congratulations
on your achievements.”
- To see the full Press Release, click HERE
- To see how Wear Valley Mercury covered the story, click HERE
- To see how the Northern Echo covered the story, click HERE
June 2009: FREE entry to Durham attractions, and other offers
Some 20 attractions in County Durham are offering a range
of special offers to visitors to the region.
Places such as the Botanic
Gardens, Crook Hall &
Gardens, the Durham
Light Infantry Museum, Durham
Castle, the Old Fulling Mill
archaeological museum and the Oriental
Museum, (all in Durham); Diggerland
in Langley Park, the Castle
and the Bowes Museum in Barnard
Castle, the Play Shack in Shildon, Beamish
Wild, Tweddle Animal Farm, the
Tanfield
Railway, Killhope
Museum are offering “2 for the price of 1” entry tickets, while others
such as Weardale Off Road,
Joseph at Dalton Park,
and the North of England Trike Tours
are offering generous discounts. Terms
and conditions will apply. We can
get any of these offers on behalf of our guests, or you can download the
vouchers yourselves at http://www.visitcountydurham.com/site/durham-deals
September 2008: a GREAT new film about Durham - city AND county
For September, the EnjoyEngland
web-site is featuring a lovely short film by Simon Calder, extolling a few
of the many attractions offered by our fair city and County. Click HERE
and choose film 1 from the list on offer.
August 2008: We're FAMOUS!
Or, at least, we're featured in the Wear Valley Mercury, who were keen
to write up our Silver award in the Green Tourism Business Scheme.
Click HERE
for a scanned copy of the article, and HERE
to visit the Wear Valley Mercury web-site.
3rd/4th October 2008: Great North Run AND Durham University Freshers
week.
As usual, demand for accommodation on this weekend is HUGE every
year... and it's all gone. People who MIGHT have space include:
August 2008: Our 4-Star status is confirmed
Following our annual inspection by Quality in Tourism, who
run the quality assurance programme for Bed & Breakfasts on behalf of
VisitBritain, the AA and the RAC, we have had our 4-star rating confirmed for
another 12 months. This means we have been judged as very good in the key
areas of Cleanliness, Hospitality, Breakfast, Bedrooms and Bathrooms. (We
knew we were already, but it's good to have it independently confirmed).
For a full explanation of what the star rating system means, click HERE,
and look under Serviced Accommodation. NEXT year, we're going for a Silver
or Gold Award (for outstanding performance within a specific Star rating).
May 2008: A New Room comes on stream
At last, our new Red Room is ready. It
features a comfortable double bed, pleasant decorations, a luxurious deep pile
carpet, and a wonderful (RED) ensuite shower room with a huge shower (900 x
1400mm). Everyone who has used it so far has RAVED about it - in a good
way of course.
This means that the Blue Room is heading into
well-earned retirement, prior to a thorough refurbishment. It really does
need a break.
April 2008: Fresh-baked croissants and pains au chocolat for breakfast
We've always wanted to offer fresh-baked
produce in our breakfasts. We did know of some wonderful deep-frozen
pastries that we prove overnight, then bake fresh in the morning, but could we
find them? Now, courtesy of local farm shop, Lowfields, we have a secure
supply. They are at least twice as good as any others we've tried, so we
are DELIGHTED - and we hope you will be too.
February 2008: The Pink Room has been
revitalised
We are doing a large refurbishment operation,
with new bath- and shower rooms, redecorated bedrooms and other stuff. The
first fruit of this is a shiny new Pink Room, with sink-in carpet (pink, of
course...), Wilton wallpaper, and the cupboards done over in no less a shade
than Pale Twine. As for the bathroom...
Gone is the cavernous bathroom of yore, with
its delightful bath and cramped shower, down all those steps. In its place
is a bright, modern bathroom with a splendid "P"-shaped bath, which
accommodates a decent-size, well-screened flat-floored shower space at one end.
Massive mirrors add to the ambience, and, well, it really is PINK. Have a
look HERE.
The rest of the refurbishment is nearing
completion, and will deliver a further double room, with an ENORMOUS (900 x
1400mm) luxury shower. A complicated new plumbing system ensures that
there is lots of hot water for all the bathrooms, at decent pressure, and the
overall effect is (biased comment here) GREAT. Watch this space...
February 2008: Dowfold House HAS GONE GREEN
- with a silver tint
Following our application to the Green
Tourism Business Scheme, we have been assessed and found not so much
wanting, as needing a SILVER award.
Needless to say, we are delighted, and determined to go for GOLD
next year. See below for further details.
January 2008: Dowfold House goes GREEN
We have signed up to the Green
Tourism Business Scheme. This is a scheme that assesses businesses in
the UK for their attitude towards and contribution to the environment, and
issues different levels of award according to how green a business is. It
covers much more than just low-energy light-bulbs, or us not wanting to change
your sheets or wash your towels (which we will always do on request)!
Supporting a more sustainable tourism with the help of the
Green Tourism Business Scheme (GTBS) -
- Benefits the environment by conserving resources
- Reduces waste
- Reduces costs through efficiencies and staff awareness
- Fulfils customers expectations of businesses to look after
their environment
- Offers business customers in particular green certified
suppliers they are increasingly demanding
- Improves the customer experience
- Improves the quality of the service we provide
- Benefits the local community
- Supports the local economy
- Reduces congestion and pollution
- Enhances the natural environment
May 2007: Green Room gets ensuite
The Green Room has been refurbished from scratch and makes a
delightful, sun-drenched bedroom with stunning views to the South West
over Weardale and Hamsterley Forest. Carefully furnished, we've
designed it to take one, two or three people in comfort. AND, now,
it has its own luxuriously equipped ensuite shower room
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