The finalists have been announced for the B&B and Guest House of the Year award at the East of England Tourism Awards 2022-2023.
This award recognises bed and breakfast and guest house businesses in our region which are truly memorable guest experiences and demonstrating excellence across every aspect of the business.
Here are this year's finalists.
Dairy Barns
Based in Hickling, Norfolk, Dairy Barns Bed & Breakfast has been providing a warm welcome to guests since 2005.
The bed and breakfast offers nine rooms consisting of six cosy en-suite rooms and three individually designed ‘Extra Special’ rooms in the old red brick barn cattle buildings in the middle of a working farm.
Staff at the family-run business pride themselves on doing everything possible to help guests enjoy their stay, including sharing their local knowledge so that visitors can make the most of their time exploring the local area.
The breakfast also showcases great local produce and can be enjoyed in the rooms or the beautiful barn.
Guests at Dairy Barns range from families to nature lovers, walkers and couples, and the business also works closely with local wedding venue Waxham Barn to host couples and guests at weekends, as well as hosting a small number of weddings of its own on the farm.
The judges felt that they were provided with a “warm welcome” and commented on the friendliness of the team at Dairy Barns.
In particular, they were impressed with the “size and comfort” of their room and added that the onsite barn where guests can choose to eat their breakfast was “particularly nice”.
Downham Hall
Downham Hall is boutique B&B set amongst the Essex countryside near Billericay. The historic hall served as a home to several wealthy families over hundreds of years, before work began to convert the property into a bed and breakfast in 2017.
Owners Christina and Andrew Metcalfe have been mindful of keeping the character of the building while renovating and today Downham Hall offers five individually designed bedrooms as well as a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, providing an ideal base for guests to explore the countryside.
Up to 25 full time and part time staff are employed across the business, offering a friendly, professional atmosphere with quality at the core of the business.
The building is also licensed for weddings, which the owners hope will form a large part of Downham Hall’s future operations.
They are also aiming to convert more of the main house into further bedrooms and residents’ lounges moving forward.
The judges said that they were pleased with “the customer service and experience provided for guests” and were also “very impressed” with the standard of the rooms available.
In addition, they commended the “great quality” of the food on offer at Downham Hall.
Piglets Boutique Country Stay
Piglets Boutique Country Stay offers an adult-only experience in the tranquil town of Saffron Walden, Essex. Originally an old Essex tithe barn, the building now houses five super-king en-suite rooms, dining space and more.
The B&B first opened three years ago, just before the start of the pandemic. Although the enforced lockdowns posed a large challenge to the business, it used the time well, building vegetable patches, a greenhouse and a chicken run to serve the B&B, converting sheds into a games room and gym, as well as adding a croquet lawn and Pétanque piste.
Today, guests can enjoy a range of facilities, including the natural-eco swimming pond, sauna and guest lounge, which is home to a range of board games. This is all rounded off with a home-cooked breakfast featuring local produce and the site’s own eggs.
The judges were impressed with the friendliness of the owners at Piglets and complimented the “high-quality facilities and food available for guests”.
Commenting on the wide range of activities on offer at Piglets Boutique Country Stay, the judges said that the facilities available for health and wellbeing were “extensive”.
The winners of the East of England Tourism Awards 2022-2023 will be announced at a black-tie event held at Milsoms Kesgrave Hall, Ipswich, Suffolk on Thursday, March 16.
To view the full East of England Tourism Awards 2022-2023 finalists supplement, please click here.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here