St.Helens Chef of the Year cooks up a treat for VIP visitors

13th October 2010

 There was the sweet smell of success for Mark Brown, Head Chef at Fairways Restaurant and current St.Helens Chef of the Year, as he prepared a feast for 17 lucky Group Travel Organisers.

They were in town to experience the wide range of delights that St.Helens has to offer.

The Group Travel Organisers, who came from all corners of the UK, were chosen from a long list of applicants, who had signed up to visit St.Helens and experience first hand, the visitor offer before bringing their own groups and societies to visit in the near future.

Proving why he was named St.Helens Chef of the Year 2009 in the annual Tourism & Leisure Awards, Mark delivered mouth watering dishes to the group who enjoyed stunning panoramic views from the restaurant at Houghwood Golf Club. Fellow Tourism Awards winner, colleague Elaine Tabern, greeted the special guests prior to lunch.

The annual search is now on to find the stars of the local tourism, leisure and hospitality industry with the 2010 St.Helens Tourism and Leisure Awards.

Mark Brown commented ‘It was great to be nominated for this award and to win was such a rewarding feeling. I would encourage everyone to nominate their colleagues and staff to get the recognition they deserve.’

Councillor Barrie Grunewald, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member forCulture, Communications and Town Centre at St.Helens Council, added: “The visit was a great success, showcasing the Borough’s tourism assets and outstanding customer service which will assist our goal of increasing visitor numbers and spend in the local economy by attracting groups to the Borough. The Awards are open to all tourism related businesses and shine the spotlight on St.Helens quality tourism product and celebrate the industry’s passion for excellence.”

The closing date for nominations is Friday 29th October. Nomination forms are available from here.