Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce has revealed the finalists for the Hospitality, Leisure & Tourism Award at the 2026 Business Awards.
Sponsored by Wilkinson Collective, the award celebrates businesses that embody excellence in the hospitality, leisure and tourism sector, recognising quality of service, customer experience, innovation, creativity and positive contributions to the local community and environment.
Now in its 11th year, the Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards is the largest business awards programme in the region. Winners will be crowned at a gala awards ceremony at Uttoxeter Racecourse on Thursday 9 July 2026.
The five finalists are:
bet365 Stadium – Operating as a genuine 365-day destination with over 55,000 non-matchday visitors annually, the stadium has strengthened its events offer through the launch of Ricardo’s, the region’s largest sports bar, and the Boothen Quarter Fan Zone, with 70 square metre screens and integrated staging. Find out more, here.
Middleport Pottery – The UK’s last continuously operating Victorian potbank welcomes over 50,000 visitors a year to its Grade II*-listed Trent and Mersey Canal site, with a dedicated learning centre opened in 2024 and a National Lottery Heritage Fund-backed Visitor Welcome Centre due in 2026. Find out more, here.
Lowe’s on Carter Street – Opened in Uttoxeter in April 2023, Lowe’s holds a perfect 5.0 on Google, ranks in the top 0.2% of OpenTable restaurants nationally, and was named one of the Top 100 Restaurants in the UK for 2025, the only Staffordshire entry on the list. Find out more, here.
SIXTOWNS by Bros Distillery – Rooted in the heritage of Stoke-on-Trent’s six towns, the distillery welcomed over 14,000 visitors in 2025, a 20% increase, with satisfaction ratings of 4.9 on TripAdvisor. A larger purpose-built space is under development. Find out more, here.
The Hammersley Restaurant – AA College Rosette-accredited and holding a perfect five-star TripAdvisor rating, the Hammersley at Stoke-on-Trent College offers fine dining at accessible prices, run entirely by hospitality and catering students. Find out more, here.
To find out more about the 2026 Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards, visit staffordshirechambers.co.uk/awards.
