Rufford Abbey Country Park has been rewarded with a top accolade by VisitEngland.

The park has been saluted for the quality of its food and drink at the annual VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme assessments.

It was given a Quality Food and Drink award for the East Midlands.

Winning attractions gained the accolades based on scores received following their annual VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme assessments.  

VisitEngland director Andrew Stokes said: “It’s so exciting to see our brilliant attractions providing outstanding experiences for visitors and to recognise and showcase the variety and quality across the country.

“England has unmissable visitor attractions and experiences that deliver world-class customer service. They also provide the warmest of welcomes and unforgettable storytelling that connects the whole experience, including retail and food and drink offers that exceed expectations.”

Introduced in 2014, the accolades are available to VisitEngland’s Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme participants across a wide range of tourism experiences in England from museums and galleries, farm attractions, historic houses and gardens to churches, cathedrals and country parks.  Participating attractions are supported by a network of highly-trained and experienced assessors, who advise them on improving and promoting the quality, accessibility and sustainability of their offer.

Tourism is one of England’s largest and most valuable industries, supporting hundreds of thousands of businesses, employing about 2.6 million people and, in 2019, generating £76 billion in domestic visitor spending.