North Yorkshire malt whisky distillery wins prestigious VisitEngland Tour accolade

Hunmanby-based Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery has been accredited with the VisitEngland Visitor Attraction award for the distillery tours they run daily.

The distillery was one of only 72 English attractions to win awards in the categories that cover all aspects of what makes an outstanding visitor experience. They include: ‘Welcome’; ‘Quality Food and Drink’; ‘Hidden Gem’; ‘Best Told Story’; and ‘Gold’ for overall excellence, which Spirit of Yorkshire won.

Of the award, Spirit of Yorkshire Director and Co-Founder, David Thompson said: “The Visitor Attraction Accolades recognise excellence within the visitor attraction sector and we’re proud and delighted to have earned another award. It’s a remarkable achievement that we were one of only five attractions in Yorkshire to be awarded the gold standard and it’s credit to our amazing team who continue to deliver an outstanding visitor experience.

“Our aim is to put Yorkshire on the UK and world malt whisky-making map, and this award stands us in good stead to build on our visitor offering that includes whisky tours, tastings, refreshments and events.”

VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said:  “These accolades highlight the wonderful visitor experiences provided by English attractions, from the warmest of welcomes to amazing food and drink, from great storytelling to outstanding customer service.

“Our tourism businesses are the bedrock of our industry and it is wonderful to highlight and celebrate the fantastic service and experiences they give visitors, time-after-time. From museums, gardens and nature reserves to farm attractions, estates and theme parks, these attractions go out of their way to make visits memorable.” 

Tourism is one of England’s largest, most valuable industries, supporting more than 200,000 businesses, employing about 2.6 million people and, in 2023, generating £70.5 billion in domestic visitor spending.

Home to Filey Bay Single Malt Whisky, Spirit of Yorkshire is a field to bottle distillery that grows all the barley for its whisky production on the family farm.