Shropshire Star Tourism & Leisure Awards - your chance to vote for the winners

While a panel of expert judges decide on the winners of our nine Tourism awards, voting lines opened this morning for Shropshire Star readers to select the champions of our six Leisure categories - Best Cafe or Tea Room, Best Day Out, Best Night Out, Best Pub Grub, Best Posh Nosh, and Pub of the Year.

The line-up of finalists is a glittering array of top-performing businesses, drawn from all corners of the Shropshire Star's circulation area.

The finalists

Leisure section

Best Day Out sponsored by Midland Game & Country Fair

• Burwarton Show, Bridgnorth

• Carding Mill Valley and The Long Mynd, Church Stretton

• Severn Valley Railway, Bridgnorth

• Stokesay Castle, Craven Arms

Best Cafe/Tea Room sponsored by Nick Jones Wealth Manager

• Arthur’s at Fordhall, Market Drayton

• Berry’s Coffee House, Church Stretton

• Old Mill Tea Rooms, Bridgnorth

Best Pub Grub sponsored by QA Ironbridge Limited

• The Aston, Church Aston

• The Fox, Chetwynd Aston

• The Huntsman of Little Wenlock

Best Night Out sponsored by Hobs and Hotplates of Shrewsbury

• Oakengates Theatre, Telford

• The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

• The Hive, Shrewsbury

• The Old Market Hall, Shrewsbury

Best Posh Nosh sponsored by Shrewsbury College of Arts & Technology

• Mr Underhill’s, Ludlow

• Sebastians, Oswestry

• The Hundred House Hotel, Norton

Pub of the Year sponsored by Wood's Brewery

• Mytton Arms, Habberley

• Old Fighting Cocks, Oakengates

• The George and Dragon, Much Wenlock

• To vote for your favourite venue in the Leisure section simply click on this link or visit shropshirestar.com/tourism-awards

The winners will be announced at a celebratory luncheon on November 18, at the Ironbridge Gorge Museums' Enginuity site.

Viv Birch, promotions manager at Midland News Association, the Shropshire Star's parent company, said: "Readers now have their say on which businesses should win in our six Leisure categories.

"People can vote using the form published in this supplement, by text, or via the website, and voting will be open for just two weeks."

After that, the lines will be closed, the votes will be counted, and the identity of the winners will remain a secret until the day of the presentation.

In the Tourism categories, the final decision will now be left to the panel of expert judges, who helped to shortlist the finalists. Again, the winners will not be known until the day of the presentation.

Mrs Birch added: "Those who are announced as winners or runners-up in the Tourism categories will be eligible to enter the national campaign organised by VisitEngland, if they are based in the county of Shropshire and meet the criteria."

• Read more about the Tourism categories here

VisitEngland has been a strong supporter of the Shropshire Star awards. Chief executive James Berresford stopped off in the county to perform the official launch.

He said: "Tourism is one of the few growth industries in this country, so I am delighted that the newspaper, and the county, have taken the initiative.

"The awards should, if successful, feed into the national awards. There is wonderful history and heritage in Shropshire, wonderful countryside, wonderful attractions, and beautiful hotels and restaurants.

"Today's visitors are absolutely fixed on having a good value, quality experience. I know quality runs deep in Shropshire, so the potential for growth is definitely there. I'm delighted the Shropshire Star has taken the bull by the horns."

"I always consider Shropshire to be a bit of an unrealised opportunity. Hopefully these awards will give the county a chance to showcase what it has to offer on a national stage."

Katie Foster chairs the Shropshire & Telford Tourism Strategy Board, and is another strong supporter of the awards. She says: "Shropshire & Telford offers excellence for both leisure and business visitors: its heritage, food and drink and festivals are second to none."