THE WINNER: The True Lovers Knot
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The True Lovers Knot was a clear winner in the Accessibility category, with judges describing the Dorset pub as "a stunning example that enhances the Cateys and has passion running right through it".
With consideration for deaf and hard of hearing, blind and partially sighted, disabled and less able, diabetic and coeliac customers, it was clear to the judges that landlord Antony Marshall and his team have put a great deal of thought into making sure no guests are excluded from the pub - which makes sound business sense too.
Alan Pearce, chairman of trustees for Claridge House, made this point strongly. "It is really nice to have a pub that clearly shows the business benefits, and this is a key message to the rest of the industry."
Having identified that one in seven people in the UK is deaf or hard of hearing and that many deaf and hard of hearing customers use the pub, full-time staff undertook deaf-awareness training, while Marshall and his wife learnt basic sign language. Candles were replaced with small tealights at dining tables to reduce "visual noise" for signing or lip-reading customers; vibrating alarm clocks have been installed in the bedrooms; and table, room and campsite bookings can be made by talk-type, text message, e‑mail or letter.
All menus at the True Lovers Knot are produced in Braille, large print and audio, and staff members have been trained in how to treat blind and partially sighted customers - for example, by looking at them when talking to them, as their sense of hearing is often so acute that they will know where they are directing their voice. After consulting the Dorset Blind Association, Marshall has also ensured that tables are well lit and open underneath for assistance dogs, and he is sourcing Braille signs for doors in the pub.
Accessibility was put at the heart of refurbishment plans at the True Lovers Knot, including wider doorways for wheelchairs; flat floors with no steps; and ramps to the front door and garden. Other changes included purchasing tables to suit normal and electric wheelchairs; cutlery for people with limited dexterity; and beakers for people unable to hold normal glasses.
The True Lovers Knot offers a full coeliac menu cooked in separate fryers and, as Marshall and the head chef are diabetic, they are well equipped to advise guests on meal choices. The kitchen makes its food in-house, so the team know exactly what goes into dishes. The pub serves about 35-45 coeliac meals each week. Guests have been known to make a 200-mile round trip just to eat the pub's coeliac fish and chips.
Arnold Fewell, managing director, AVF Marketing, summed up the mood of the judges when he commented: "I was impressed by the passion that came through in the winning entry - the way sign language was learnt so people with hearing impairments could be warmly welcomed; also, how coeliacs travel 200 round miles for a meal. My daughter is a coeliac and I know how difficult it can be for us to eat out as a family."
Another judge added: "The True Lovers Knot is an absolute winner that sets a wonderful example to the rest of the industry how to embrace all sorts of disabilities."
SHORTLISTED
- Hilton Newcastle Gateshead
- Holiday Inn London Bloomsbury
- Imago at Burleigh Court, Loughborough
- The True Lovers Knot, Blandford, Dorset
THE JUDGES
- David Battersby, managing director, Hospitality and Leisure Manpower
- Arnold Fewell, managing director, AVF Marketing
- Tim Gardiner, vice-chairman, Tourism for All
- Julie Howell, director of PR, Fortune Cookie
- Michael McGrath, director, Michael McGrath Management Services
- Alan Pearce, chairman of trustees, Claridge House