CELEBRATIONS are taking place at Whitchurch Silk Mill after picking up gold, silver and bronze prizes at a South East tourism awards.

Sue Tapliss, Marie Colgrave and Freya Gulliver collected the South East England's prestigious Beautiful South Tourism Awards during a ceremony in Brighton this week.

Marie Colgrave, who is a welcome building supervisor at the mill, won gold in the Unsung Hero category for her kindness, initiative for income generation, and willingness and determination during the pandemic.

The team also picked up a silver award for the Riverside Cafe in Best Café and Tearoom of the Year category and bronze award in Small Attraction of the Year category.

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The awards celebrate the cream of the crop with finalists representing tourism, leisure and hospitality businesses.

The Silk Mill fought off stiff competition from attractions across South East England to win the awards.

Mill operations manager Jess Bone, who nominated Marie, said: “Marie’s commitment to the mill, especially her willingness to get stuck in and flexibility during Covid, is recognised by all the team and regular visitors to the Riverside Café.

“Her initiative for income generation and wrangling of injured wildfowl aren't the only reasons she was nominated. Marie's kindness with visitors, especially more vulnerable customers, shines throughout our local community.”

A mill spokesperson said the awards are a huge boost for the charity during a period when visitor numbers have dropped across the tourism and heritage industry due to the economic climate.

The spokesperson added that the awards recognise the hard work both staff and volunteers have put in to make the mill an outstanding visitor attraction.

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The Riverside Café, situated banks of the gin-clear River Test, offers a seasonal menu of delicious sweet treats, snacks and light lunches. Housed in one of the mill's old weaving sheds with views of the Georgian mill building and down the SSSI-protected River Test, the café has become a community hub in Whitchurch frequented by groups of cyclists and local families weekly, as well as mill visitors.

Highlights from their warming winter menu include pies bursting with filling, smoked River Test trout pate and locally baked cakes.