Submit your nominations for the 2024 Cumbria Life Awards

The Cumbria Life Awards are back! We are once again poised to celebrate the amazing people and places that make Cumbria so special as we set out to find – and honour – your favourites.

Click here to nominate your favourites 

Nominations are open now – and the places you love to visit and the businesses you support are all relying on you to put them forward for an award.

From the arts to attractions, artisan producers to dining venues, shops to fundraisers and our ultimate accolade for Cumbrian of the Year, our awards celebrate the best across the broad scope of businesses and organisations that make our county the best to live in and visit.

All our previous categories are back, and this year we’re extending the awards with a new category to honour those working hard in the hair, beauty and spa sector. The industry was especially badly hit by lockdown restrictions during the pandemic and everyone has had to work super hard to build back up. Why not nominate your favourite salon or spa?

We have consolidated our recognition of visitor venues into a single Best Tourist Attraction award, and we have broadened our ethical and sustainable business award to include any environmental project.

As well as recognising worthy sustainable practices, we are seeking to reward work that sets out to reduce climate change, to restore nature, to leave a lower carbon footprint or simply to make a local environment better in our Best Environmental Project award.

Supported by our headline sponsor H&H Insurance Brokers, a Cumbria Life Award is a mark of how highly each nominee is valued and a symbol of their outstanding contribution to the lives of those who live in and visit our county. They are the people and places who help to put Cumbria on the map; the local heroes who go above and beyond, achieve to the highest level and bring something unique to their sector.

Winning a Cumbria Life Award is valued by its recipients principally because it is our readers who nominate and ultimately choose the winners. So help us celebrate the cream of Cumbria by putting forward your favourites for one of these special accolades.

Nominating is FREE, takes just a few minutes and all those shortlisted will get to attend the prestigious awards celebration to be held at luxury Low Wood Bay hotel, Windermere, on Thursday, September 5. Finalists will enjoy a three-course dinner before the awards ceremony when the winners will be revealed.

OUR AWARD CATEGORIES IN THE 2024 CUMBRIA LIFE AWARDS – AND A REMINDER OF LAST YEAR’S WINNERS

1. BEST FINE DINING EXPERIENCE
This award is open to any restaurant that counts itself in the fine dining category, whether offering à la carte or tasting menus. The winner will excel in their sourcing of ingredients, food quality, innovation, presentation and customer experience.
2023 WINNER: HEFT, HIGH NEWTON

Pioneer Foodservice (Image: Pioneer Foodservice)

2. BEST CASUAL DINING EXPERIENCE – SPONSORED BY PIONEER FOOD SERVICE
This award showcases establishments that don’t count themselves as fine dining but deliver a first-class eating experience; where passion, creativity, quality of food, customer service and ambience excel. Entries may come from bistros, gastropubs and even food trucks within the county.
2023 WINNER: ROYAL OAK, BORROWDALE

3. BEST CAFÉ OR COFFEE SHOP
This category recognises a standout establishment that takes its hot beverages super seriously; where a passion for the enjoyment of coffee and tea is evident as soon as you walk through the door along with quality food, including sweet treats.
2023 WINNER: HOPE PARK CAFÉ, KESWICK

4. BEST PUB OR BAR
Open to any establishment that sells drinks – a pub, cocktail/wine bar or tap room. This award will go to an outstanding recipient who values its customers, has quality drinks, a great atmosphere and passion for delivering an experience that stands out from the crowd.
2023 WINNER: THE PHEASANT INN, ALLITHWAITE

5. BEST TOURIST ATTRACTION
The winner of this award could be a natural or built attraction that people visit for pleasure and/or interest. Its team will deliver a truly memorable visitor experience and excel in every aspect of their business.
2023 WINNER: (LARGE) LOWTHER CASTLE; (SMALL) SOLWAY AVIATION MUSEUM

University of Cumbria (Image: University of Cumbria)

6. BEST ARTS/CULTURE VENUE – SPONSORED BY UNIVERSITY OF CUMBRIA
This award is open to any business or organisation which showcases the arts, including theatres, cinemas, galleries and museums. We are looking for a venue with passion, innovation and dedication, and commitment towards promoting arts and culture in Cumbria.
2023 WINNER: THEATRE BY THE LAKE, KESWICK

7. BEST HAIR, BEAUTY SALON OR SPA
For this new award we are looking for a salon or spa that prides itself on delivering exceptional experiences, with its team and customers at the heart of everything it does. It will provide high quality, professional services in a clean, relaxing and nurturing environment where clients feel welcome and valued.

8. INDEPENDENT RETAILER OF THE YEAR
Awarded to an independently owned business, based in Cumbria. The winner of this award will demonstrate commercial success, innovation in terms of their products and services and their ability to provide outstanding experience for their customers.
2023 WINNER: KESWICK BOOT COMPANY

9. ARTISAN PRODUCER OF THE YEAR (FOOD & DRINK)
The winner of this category will produce a self-made product and demonstrate innovation, quality and commercial success. Originality and popularity are also two key factors in this award, not to mention taste of course.
2023 WINNER: LAKELAND MUES

10. BEST ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECT
This award acknowledges ethical, responsible and sustainable practices or ethos within an organisation, or a specific project to reduce carbon footprint, employ more sustainable practices or restore or improve a local environment, in any sector.
2023 WINNER: LOW SIZERGH BARN

11. FUNDRAISING FEAT OF THE YEAR
A stand-out individual or team who have gone above and beyond to achieve an outstanding fundraising goal. We will be looking for a fundraising campaign that shows innovation, commitment and selflessness towards supporting a worthy cause.
2023 WINNER: TEN THOUSAND DAFFODILS

H&H Insurance Brokers (Image: H&H Insurance Brokers)

12. CUMBRIAN OF THE YEAR – SPONSORED BY H&H INSURANCE BROKERS
This special award will be awarded to an individual who lives in Cumbria and has achieved something extraordinary; someone who deserves recognition for an outstanding feat or achievement, who has overcome challenges or who makes an incredible contribution to their community and county.
2023 WINNER: ANDY AIREY

HOW TO NOMINATE

It has never been more important to support local businesses and organisations and nominations are open now for the 2024 Cumbria Life Awards.

Click here to nominate your favourites 

The closing date for nominations is June 2.

The top three nominees in each category will go through for a chance to walk away with one of our coveted awards. You can nominate in as many categories as you wish – remember if they’re not in it, they can’t win it. The three finalists in each category will be revealed in the August issue of Cumbria Life (out in July) when we will ask you to vote for your winners

Low Wood Bay (Image: Low Wood Bay)